


Complicated Hexagon

by Frumpologist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Maurauder era, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Second Wizarding War era, Sexual Content, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-05-05 21:36:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14627508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frumpologist/pseuds/Frumpologist
Summary: A potion gone wrong sends Hermione back in time, right into the arms of Sirus Black and James Potter.  While her heart leads her astray, time continues to turn and it takes Hermione forward to view her decisions and choices before they're even made.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally published on the late HPFF where it had a following of amazing people who I love dearly <3 I was Jessi_Rose back in those days, just in case the different penname worries anyone. :) This story was also published pre-Deathly Hallows and so DH was not taken into account for this story. 
> 
> A pre-read note on this story: it is finished and it is a trilogy. The third story is being finished now after twelve long years. I will post at least one chapter a week (if not more) until we’re caught up. I am editing the story as I go since my writing has changed dramatically over the years and I’m allowed to be more mature with my content on AO3. Please keep in mind that twelve years ago the cliches weren’t as... cliche as they are now. XD If you’re new to the Complicated Hexagon trilogy: welcome! If you’re a fan from HPFF: welcome back! 
> 
> Finally, this story won two Dobby Awards on HPFF in 2007 - Absolute Best Make Your Jaw Drop Moment and Most Memorable Scene. 
> 
> I do not own any piece of the Harry Potter verse and so anything you recognize is not my own, sadly.

Tears stained the satin pillowcase that was clinging to her face. She opened an eye, not quite sure if she was ready to take on the world; not just yet. The previous night left her feeling cold and dejected, a shadow of the girl she built herself up to all these years. Hermione Granger had a broken heart. A heart that would not heal, especially not when someone was rubbing salt in the wound.    
  
"Oi, Hermione!" Ginny's voice interrupted her desperate silence, and reminded Hermione of her pounding headache, sore eyes, and dry throat. "Breakfast. Let's go. C'mon. Up you get, now."    
  
Hermione huffed and shoved her face even further into her bedding. "I'm not going," she mumbled, swatting Ginny's helping hand away. "Tell the cheeky git to-"    
  
"No, no, no. None of that now. Get your arse out of bed and-"    
  
"Ginny. It's Saturday. It's," Hermione glanced out of the dormitory window and sighed, "eight in the morning. I don't want to deal with this nonsense. I'm not going to save his bloody reputation. What about mine? I have homework and S.P.E.W., and NEWTs to think about."   
  
Ginny's hands found comfort on her hips, her eyes narrowed angrily. "You'll have to face him and that tart eventually, Hermione. Get your badge, meet Ernie in the entrance hall, and get your scrawny bum down there...Now!"    
  
"Alright, mum!" She snapped back, standing from her bed and heading to the wardrobe to pick out her clothes. "Any preference, then? Black, black, or more black?"    
  
Ginny tapped her foot, ignoring the sarcasm her friend was emitting with great stride. "Just hurry, alright?"    
  
"Why is this such a big deal to you?" Hermione called out to her friend while pulling a jumper over her head. "He's a git. We're never going to get back together. You have to know that, right? He was with  _ her _ ."    
  
She stepped around the changing screen, ready to go. Ginny nodded her acceptance and reached over to Hermione's table, grabbing the brush from it. "Let's-"    
  
"Oh, no. No, no, no. My hair stays." She pulled the brush from Ginny's hand and tossed it on the bed. "Leave it be."    
  
"If he's any sort of gentleman at all-"    
  
Hermione scoffed. "This is your brother we're talking about, Gin. He's about as gentlemanly as a diseased giant."    
  
"C'mon, time to shine," Ginny said forcefully as she took Hermione's elbow and led her from the dormitory.    
  
A gaggle of girls stared at Hermione as she entered the Great Hall. Of course, everyone would know about what transpired between her and Ron. Feeling the piercing gaze of Lavender, Hermione blushed and sped up to take a seat next to Harry, who was keeping himself occupied with his breakfast. When she sat down, he greeted her, mumbling through the cereal he was munching. Ron looked up and smiled, his flaming red hair dancing wildly around his face. She didn't smile back. Instead, she plopped next to him on the bench and heaved a deep sigh.    
  
"Ron, this," she motioned her hands between him and herself, "is not going to work."    
  
The hall suddenly went quiet, thanks to Ginny who shushed everyone at her table. People leaned in to hear the gossip and Hermione couldn't help but glance at them, scowling.    
  
"Why not? I think we’re perfect." His tone was deadpan as he picked at the food on his plate.    
  
"No, Ronald," Hermione said angrily. After his display the night before all she wanted to do was hurt him as he hurt her. "I am perfect.” She stood up from the bench and quirked an eyebrow at him. A disgusted look passed her face when she said, "You, are far from it."    
  
At a fast pace Hermione walked out of the Great Hall. Complete silence hung in the air while she told him off. The collective Hall seemed to hold its breath. When the door shut behind her, she swore she could hear the tension leave the Hall. Loud voices rang, murmurs and rumors started.    
  
"Ron, what the hell just happened?" Harry's focus was finally away from his breakfast. "I thought things were supposed to be... alright?"   
  
"Not sure," Ron responded as he shrugged his broad shoulders. He looked longingly at the food on his plate and bit into a piece of buttered toast, unaware that several eyes still stared at him. "I'll live," he said in the same bored tone he used with Hermione. But after seeing that Harry wasn't satisfied he added, "Honestly, it's not the end of the world."   
  
"Won Won!" shrieked another voice. All eyes turned to her direction.    
  
"Merlin help us," Harry said through tight lips.   
  
Ron smirked and turned to face the porcelain-skinned beauty, sliding his arm around her waist as she approached.    
  
"Now that you and the beaver are done," Lavender traced her finger along Ron's jawline and simpered, "can we be together?"   
  
Ron winked at Lavender and whispered, "We have already talked about that, love."    
  
"Eek!" She screamed joyously as she threw her arms around Ron's neck. "I can't believe that she went along with it."    
  
"It took some tough convincing, but yeah, she agreed in the end. It was half three this morning when I finally got her to accept the offer," Ron said as he swept some of his wild red locks behind his ear.    
  
"Ronald Weasley!” Ginny shouted angrily. She stood up and placed her hands flat on the table and leaned in closely to Ron's face. "What have you done? Her? You chose... a tart from Witch Weekly's Slag of the Decade?"    
  
"Hey, Hermione and I had a deal." His voice ground through a whisper. "Her reputation and mine are both saved. She got to dump me in front of the entire school."   
  
"And what, pray tell, do you get from this deal?" Ginny sneered.   
  
"She won’t tell anyone that I cheated on her, and I won’t look like an arse." Ron looked to Lavender and smiled. He swept a strand of blonde hair from her eyes and kissed her cheek.   
  
"Isn't he brilliant?" Lavender asked cheerfully. She didn't seem to notice that Ginny was about to kill him.    
  
"Oh, I'll give you brilliant, you hag," Ginny once again lunged across the table, but this time it was for the dumb tart that broke up her brother and best friend. Lavender shrieked and jumped away. Ron stood up in front of Lavender with his hands in front of him to fend off an attack. Harry pulled Ginny back and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear what he said. She calmed instantly and a cheeky grin spread across her face as she looked to the door of the hall and nodded her head.    
  
"What are you two whispering about and..." Ron asked, pointing a finger at Harry, "why are you smiling like that?"   
  
His question was answered, not by Harry or Ginny, but by a loud dramatic yell from the entrance of the hall. A beautiful looking brunette stood against the frame of the thick door, holding in her hand a pair of purple knickers. Her brown eyes darkened and twisted into a menacing glare, but there was a sly smile playing on her lips. "Ron, how could you?"    
  
"Wha-" Ron tried to ask as his face paled.   
  
"I just found these," Hermione took a few steps toward Ron and flung the purple knickers at him. "Under your jumper in the common room. I thought that you loved me." A small hand flew to her forehead and a fake sob sounded from her throat. "Why would you cheat on me with her?" She pointed her finger dramatically at Lavender, who was looking quite red in the cheeks.    
  
"Hermione," Ron said in an aggravated whisper, "Our deal?" His ears were burning red. He looked like he could faint from all of the attention he was getting.

Hermione winked at Ron and mouthed, "Oopsie!" as she turned and marched out of the Great Hall.

The entire hall erupted in bellowing laughter. It was the best outcome she could have hoped for. Ron should have known not to treat the brightest witch of her age like some lovey dovey simpleton. And while her heart was throbbing painfully in the wake of Ron’s deceit, Hermione took comfort in the idea that she had an entire school year ahead of her.


	2. Chapter 2

The rumors still circulated a week later. Ron earned glares as he walked down the hallway with his hand in Lavender’s, except when he received a ridiculous round of cheers from the Slytherins for his treatment of The Mudblood. Even Ron didn’t like that particular moment; his ears turned red and he spun from the hallway with Lavender in tow. Harry and Ginny almost forgave him for his mistreatment of Hermione, though they were still giving him the cold shoulder when Lavender was about.

  
Hermione was okay with the gossip mill, telling anyone who would listen that Ron was a big git who was going to be diseased with Gonoherpisypholitis if he wasn't more careful with the trash he was dating. She’d say that Lavender was only after him because he was a Quidditch player.  It went no further than superficial attraction. She kept her chin up, ignoring the whispers that she was a frigid princess.

  
The highlight of Hermione's week was a confrontation she had with Lavender.

  
"Hermione, we need to talk," Lavender began as she grabbed Hermione's elbow and dragged her to the middle of the hall. "You need to stop staring at Ron and me."   
  
"What?" Hermione asked, appalled by the very thought. "I don't care about you and Ron."   
  
"Sure you don't. I heard from others that you’ve been crying yourself to sleep," Lavender pouted mockingly.   
  
"Right. Who is the daft idiot that told you that?”

  
"Well, Ernie and his friends said that you were in tears when they saw you in the hall on patrol," Lavender tried to recover.   
  
"Ron is not worth my tears. Nor are you," Hermione spat.   
  
"Ha! Ron told me that you were planning the wedding already!"   
  
"No, I couldn't plan a wedding with Ron. He hasn't got enough money to afford it," Hermione sneered, but then quickly smiled, at Lavender's expression.  She hadn't meant the words to come out, she didn't mean them. However, she was very, very angry. Vicious, Harry called her once.

  
Lavender scowled and stepped closer to Hermione, nearly nose to nose. "Ron will be a famous Quidditch player one day and you‘ll still be a stuffy bookworm with frizzy hair."   
  
"Hopefully you'll still stick around when his face gets bludgeoned to mince meat. Oh, and Lav," Hermione added as she started walking away from the steaming drama queen. "Be sure to tell Ron that it was you snogging Draco behind the statue of the Boris the Bewildered."   
  
Completely satisfied at the result of that last comment, and with Lavender spluttering in her wake, Hermione skipped down the hallway a huge smile plastered on her face.   
  
The grin soon faltered though as she walked into Potion's class. Snape was particularly keen to point out Hermione's heartache in the nastiest of ways. He had no patience for the distraction of the teenage drama.

  
"Ms. Granger, don't let Ronald distract you from your potion. It is a complex potion that has dire consequences should it be wrong. It's three lacewing flies, _not_ four," Snape sneered over her potion. "We will be testing your draught in front of the class," he hissed with glittering eyes as he caught Hermione's stare.   
  
"Yes, sir," she mumbled.   
  
Sure enough, at the end of class Snape called Hermione forward. "If you have brewed this potion correctly, it will turn this table into a liquid through which you can pass. If not, well, we shall see," he smiled maliciously.   
  
The professor twisted the cork from the vile of greenish liquid. He held it up for the class to see and poured it over the wooden table. Harry tried to grab Hermione's hand for support, but she shook him off due to her nerves. When the liquid was covering the table, it looked as though the potion worked. But, then a loud blast filled the room and knocked everyone, except for Hermione, off of their feet and to the ground.   
  
A swirling, silver mist circled the table and Hermione took a shaky step toward the glistening ring. She was alarmed to see that her potion was relatively powerful and was casting an eerie silver glow from it's surface. She stole a glance back to her classmates and professor, and when none of them moved, she took another nervous step toward the table.   
  
Apparently the potion worked, as it gave off a fluid-like shine which looked as though you could walk through it. She glanced into the potion and saw Harry walking down the corridors of Hogwarts wearing a Head Boy badge. _Strange,_ she thought with a frown tugging at her lips. His hair was even more chaotic and his glasses were different. Hermione sucked in a breath when she realized that she was looking through time.

  
She leaned into the silvery fluid, her nose skimming the surface. It was too late to pull away as her body was being sucked into the image before her. She fell for what seemed like ages, shouting and twisting her body around. She finally landed gracelessly on the cement ground of the Hogwarts' corridor.   
  
Her face was down, as if she had been kissing the ground. Harry, she knew, was right in front of her. A pair of soft hands picked her up from the ground and set her on her feet. The hands did not let go until she balanced herself.   


She gasped when she looked into his _hazel_ eyes.

  


  
  
**_Hogwarts, Potions Classroom_ **

**_Autumn 1997_ **

  
Snape and his class stirred and glanced around the smoke-filled classroom.

"Ms. Granger, I think you know-" he started, but his growl was cut short when he noticed that Hermione was gone. The table was wood once more and the mist was gone.  

 He hid a smirk.  
  
"Sir," Ron interrupted the Professor’s thoughts, "Where’s Hermione?"   
  
"It appears, Mr. Weasley, that your girlfriend successfully brewed her potion. Perhaps more powerfully than I would have expected." Snape moved forward and placed his hand on the table. Definitely wood. It had no give.

  
Harry piped in, an angrier tone than Ron used.  "Then where is she?"   
  
Snape surveyed Harry over his crooked nose and asked in annoyed voice, "Mister Potter, did you read about the potion that you were brewing?" Harry thought for moment, but Snape had obviously read his thoughts. "Of course not. It was called the Time-Turner Draught. It transports the person that touches it back in time."   
  
"Why did we all get knocked out," Ron butted in.   
“And why the bloody hell would 7th year’s brew _that?_ It’s should be a regulated potion!”

  
"Apparently the extra ingredients that Ms. Granger used, thanks to your distraction, had an adverse effect."  Snape surveyed the area, the gleam in his eye barely hidden. “The draught should only allow the drinker a handful of hours, at most. Useful for an extra class load or wanting to catch their boyfriends in the act of an affair.”

 Ron blanched.

  
"Sir," Seamus Finnigan took a turn with questions, his eyebrows only half-singed. "How far back did she go?"   
  
"It depends on what her extra ingredients were and how many toad spawn she added. How many toad spawn she added would tell us how many years she wanted to go back. But, as the potion is all gone, we have no way to know," he had a strange thin-lipped smile on his face.   
  
Ron glanced around the room before asking, "How will we find her, professor?"   
  
"I will consult with the Headmaster and we will, no doubt, figure it out," he looked around to the eager faces of his class and hissed, "Class dismissed."   


   


**_Hogwarts Corridor, Prefect Rounds_ **

**_Autumn 1977_ **

  
"Are you okay?” The raven haired boy asked as he finally pulled his hands away from her body. "That was a pretty nasty fall. Where did you come from?"   


This man was not Harry. But, he looked exactly the same except… _the eyes. Bloody hell._ It had to be Harry’s dad. Hermione tried to ignore the sudden lightheadedness that threatened to overcome her. She began reciting the rules of time travel that McGonagall instilled in her during Third Year.  

_Don’t run into yourself. Don’t travel further back than 24 hours. Don’t interact. Only observe._

_Shit._

  
"Erm...Where...am I?" Hermione asked, looking around at the strange hallway. She wanted to ask _when_ was she, but if this was James Potter and he was Head Boy, she guessed 1978. Of course she knew _where_ she was, but Merlin, she’d just dropped out of thin air into his path. She had to pretend that she didn’t have a clue, right? She had to hide her knowledge of the future at all costs.

  
"Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he said gesturing around proudly. His smile was different than Harry’s, more crooked, more sure. Mischievous.

"My name is James," he said offering her his hand to shake.  
  
"James...Potter?" Hermione shook his hand and couldn’t bring herself to say _pleased to meet you_ because it was most certainly a lie.

  
"Am I that famous?" He asked as he ruffled his hair and gave her an arrogant, brilliant smile. "What’s your name?"   
  
"I'm Hermione," she said without thinking. She probably should have given a fake name but her mind was still trying to catch up. Besides, it wasn’t as if she kept fake names on tap.

  
"That is a remarkably unique name," said another voice as its owner came sauntering down the corridor. The voice was a smouldering; one that Hermione easily recognized. She turned, her hair whipping the side of her face, to see the man who owned the voice, a man that she knew so well.   
  
"Sirius?" Her eyebrows raised as she moved her eyes slowly from his face to her hands. There was one thing she didn’t consider in all of this. Maybe she didn’t travel through time after all. "Am I dead?"   
  
"You’re too pretty to be dead," answered James, never losing that wonderful smile. Oh, that smile could do strange things to her stomach if she wasn’t currently afraid of completely ruining the future.

At least she wasn’t dead.

Sirius slid to James’ side and offered her a jaunty, little bow of the head. "But, yes, to answer your question. I am Sirius Black. How did you know?"  
  
James' hazel eyes were boring into hers as she thought about what to say. _Thank Merlin Harry started to teach me Occlumency_ , she thought as she closed her mind to him. If she was in the past, she couldn't tell them about the future. That would start a mess of problems; none of which she wanted to think of.  Complications. Very, very bad complications   
  
Sirius put a hand gently on her shoulder and ducked his head to look in her eyes. She tried not to blink, tried not to breathe too quickly, tried not to pay attention to the warmth radiating from his touch.

  
"Hermione, is it?” She nodded. “How do you know who we are?”   
  
"Erm," She glanced uneasily to Sirius, then to James, and then glanced down at her feet. "Oh, Merlin," she whimpered as she fainted to the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally chapters 3 and 4, but after editing I felt that they should be merged.

"Miss Granger," called an old, familiar voice. "Can you hear me?" Her shoulders shook softly and she mumbled that she'd be down for breakfast soon. 

"Hermione, please wake up," the voice said warmly, as if it were disguising a chuckle. 

Hermione struggled to open her eyes against the flames that lit the infirmary. After a few moments and with the help of those same soft hands, she sat up and found a pair of serene blue eyes gazing at her with worry and a little bit of wonder. 

"Professor Dumbledore?" She must have passed out on Head Girl duty. It was the weirdest dream. "Sir, I had a very strange dream. I dreamt that I saw..." She stopped short as James and Sirius walked up behind the Professor and then she dropped her gaze down to the floor. "Oh," she whispered.

"Miss Granger," his voice was calm, "How do you know me and these students?"

"I..." She was so confused. "I made a potion...And...Er...Here I am," She put hands up and shrugged.

It was the truth, at least, though she really didn’t like not having more answers. She assumed that she’d find out more from Dumbledore, since he was the most powerful wizard alive. If he didn’t know, then perhaps she’d be stuck here or forced to live somewhere secluded so that she didn’t change the future. Hermione took a deep breath as the Headmaster spoke again. 

"Yes, I figured it was time travel," he said gravely. "And, what year did you come from, my dear?" He surveyed her through his half-moon spectacles and she watched as his hard gaze softened. "Forgive me, perhaps that should not be answered. Can you tell us minor things about your time so that we may accommodate you until your departure?"

"Yes, sir," she said as she glanced to James. Dragging her eyes away from him, she then looked to Sirius. 

Her heart clenched. He looked so cheerful, so rebellious, and in just a few years he would be framed for his best friends' death and carted off to Azkaban. She didn’t dare hope that this was a chance to spare him of his fate. But seeing his sparkling eyes, the playful smile on his lips, Hermione discovered that suddenly she wanted to try. 

"I’m in my seventh year at Hogwarts. I’m in all of the advanced classes - except Divination. I’ve started a movement called S.P.E.W."

"Spew?" Sirius asked quizzically, cocking his head to one side. James chuckled beside him. 

"Honestly, it's not spew! It is the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.” She raised her chin and dared them to challenge her like everyone else back home. She watched as all three of them held back grins, so she rolled her eyes and sighed. More helpless wizards. "I am..."

"Head Girl, of course," the two younger boys chorused together. 

She smiled, her first true smile, proudly. Getting the Head Girl badge was the best thing that ever happened to her. "Yes. I've also been called the brightest witch of my age." 

James chuckled, "She must be Evans' daughter."

"No," she said sadly. "Lily...she...she's not my mum. I’m Muggleborn.”

"You know Lily, too," Dumbledore repeated slowly and then quickly asked, "When did you come from, Miss Granger?" 

"I...Well...My seventh year is in nineteen ninety seven."

"Bloody hell.” Sirius, rather than appearing uncomfortable looked positively gleeful at the news. "So, you must know us all. What --"

"Mr. Black, I forbid you to ask anything about your - or your friends’ - futures," Dumbledore warned. He made a point to stare at Sirius until the smile faded from his face. 

"Fine." 

"How did you know my name, Professor?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.

Dumbledore gave her another piercing look and smiled benignly, "It was on your robes. Hermione Granger." He held up her Gryffindor robes and showed her the name that was sewn into the chest.

The nurse must have changed her while she was passed out. "When can I go back home, sir?"

"Soon enough, child. We just have to figure out a few things. I will talk with Professor Slughorn, the potions master, and see if he has an idea of what might have caused your potion to land you in nineteen seventy seven. James," he said turning to the confused looking boy, "Will you take Hermione to the Head Dorms? While she is here you and Lily will help her. If anyone asks tell them that she is the Junior Head Girl visiting from Durmstrang." 

James nodded and massaged the back of his neck, trying to sneak a not-so-stealthy glance to Sirius. 

Dumbledore looked back to Hermione and inclined his head. "I hope the castle is to your liking. If you need anything at all, please come see me. I will send a letter to a few shops in Hogsmeade to get some supplies and clothes for your stay. Perhaps Lily will let you borrow something from her wardrobe until they arrive." 

“Thank you, Headmaster.” Hermione tried to smile but found that it was too hard to fake. 

Professor Dumbledore smiled and then walked from the hospital wing with his sky blue robes swishing gracefully around his body. 

"So..." Sirius breathed out heavily.

"You heard the old man. Don’t pester her.” James tried to sound authoritative, but the smile on his face ruined it. “You’ll tell me if he bothers you too much. The bloke has a reputation and as Head Boy-“

 

James stopped when Sirius burst into laughter and then glared halfheartedly at him. Sirius clearer his throat and turned to Hermione. 

"Now that the Head Boy has had his say," Sirius said brightly with an ear to ear grin, "Shall we show you to your new living quarters?" 

He held his arm for Hermione to take. There was something about his eyes that warmed her. They were beautiful - stone gray and dazzling - surrounded by long lashes. She blushed as she took his arm and hopped off of the white cot. They began to walk from the hospital wing, toward the Head Dorms. 

"Going to ask me to spend the night tonight?” Sirius whispered without looking down at her. 

“Not this night or any other, Black.” 

“We’ll see.” 

Hermione chuckled quietly, trying to stifle the noise as James turned around and watched them curiously.

 

After being led to her room, Hermione crashed on the cushy bed, pulled the comforter up to her chin and fell fast asleep. She fought off dreams of Harry and Ron trying to bring her back and she was protesting because of the fun she was having with the Marauders. She wasn't sure why she was fighting so hard, all she knew was that it was the most free that she had ever felt in her life. Harry was pulling one arm and Ron was pulling Harry's arm. A pain seared through her arm; it felt like it was being ripped off. 

When she woke up on Saturday morning, she found herself in a sweat from struggling in her sleep. The arm that hurt during her dream was scrunched under the rest of her body, twisted in an awkward angle and seemingly about to break from the weight that had been shifted onto it. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and yawned loudly, taking in her surroundings. It looked almost exactly like her Head Dorm back 'home.' The walls were white with a lion head painted above her head board. There was a small fireplace set in the wall opposite of her bed and a door leading to the shared bathroom a little ways down the wall from the fireplace. 

She hopped from her bed and made her way to the bathroom. When she looked into the mirror, she noticed that she looked a lot worse than she felt. Her hair was curling over a loose ponytail, her eyes were red and puffy and her face was flushed. She put her hands to her head and pulled out the hair tie from her hair. After a struggle, she finally got her hair loose and tried to pull her fingers through the curly locks. With no luck, she huffed and started the shower. 

"I look like I've been running a marathon," she muttered hopelessly, as she discarded her clothes.

When hot steam began to fill the shower, she stepped in carefully and let the warm water pour over her body. The drops of water were easing away all the tension that she was feeling. She’d been coiled like a spring since dropping into the past and coming face to face with half of the Marauders. Merlin, she was really here with them. It was the first time she’d been able to react, to take in that she was carrying out conversations with wizards she never would have known otherwise. 

She smiled as she thought about all of the things she would have to tell Harry about his father and Sirius. If she was lucky she would get to spend a lot of time with them so that she could go back with a detailed account of their going-ons at Hogwarts. Hopefully she’d get to meet his mum and Remus, and… Peter. Maybe she could confirm for Harry that his dad would have forgiven him just as Harry believed. Maybe. 

She couldn't help but worry about the seriousness of the situation that she was in, either. In no way could she mention anything about the future, about the fates of the Marauders. She was surrounded by dead people - or, at least, damaged people - that had no idea of the horrible realities that faced them. 

With that thought, she stepped from the shower. The cold air was nipping at her wet body as beads of water fell to the floor. She grabbed a towel and began to dry herself off and when she finished, she wrapped the towel around her hair. 

She glanced at the steamed mirror and said, "Today is going to be a good day,” as she reached for her toothbrush. 

The mirror-Hermione smiled back at her and said, “Of course it is, dear.”

"Hermione," came the jovial voice of James, completely startling her out of her thoughts. She stopped brushing her teeth and wrapped her arms around her body helplessly, hoping he wouldn’t just walk into the room without permission. "Lily is lending you some clothes. I'll put them on your bed for you."

"Thanks," she sputtered through the toothpaste she had just swished around in her mouth with a toothbrush. 

Worry over took her as she wondered what kind of clothes they wore in this time. Hopefully it wasn't tie-dye and gaucho pants. To her surprise, it was much like her time. On her bed sat a pair of faded, slightly flared blue jeans and top. As she pulled them on, she marveled at how similar in size she was to Lily; when really, Lily looked a lot taller in the pictures Hermione had looked at. The peasant top was a light pink color with pale green designs drawn onto it. It was square around her chest, cupped her breasts, and fell loosely over her stomach. She sat on the bed and pulled on her socks and boots and headed from the room with an optimistic sort of smile.

She heard happy voices and laughter as she walked down the staircase. She glided with one hand on the railing and added a bounce in her step as she reached the last stair. Several eyes acknowledged her presence when they heard a sigh from the stairs. Hermione was staring at the Marauders with envy - they were always so damn happy. That was not a luxury they were afforded where she came from. Harry would like to know this, that his parents laughed and joked a lot. 

She easily recognized James' alluring smile and Sirius' charming eyes in the crowd and she started to move toward them. But, as she kept looking around the room, she saw a pair of shining emerald eyes staring back at her. 

"Lily," she said.

"You know me in the future," Lily stated with curiosity and nodded her head. 

"I'll just agree for lack of a better explanation," Hermione laughed nervously. 

Her eyes then met a pair of chocolate brown ones. She felt butterflies fly up in her stomach as she smiled at Remus Lupin. He looked so very young, more carefree, and less worn than the Remus of her time. 

"Remus!” She beamed at him and threw her arms around his neck, unable to contain herself.

"Well, we must all still be friends," he joked kindly and patted her on the back. 

As she pulled away, her eyes caught another familiar face. Anger radiated from her body. Fury was pumping through her veins. It was Peter Pettigrew, the man who ruined everything. If it hadn't been for him, Voldemort would have never found James and Lily. She lost control of herself and reached into her pocket for her wand. 

"You vile, twisted..." Peter cowered against the couch, squeaking like a mouse. "You..." 

She paused as she felt a firm grasp on her arms holding her back. She fought against him, trying her best to break loose. She wanted that rat to pay...she wanted him to feel what Harry felt. Sirius held onto her, his chest pressed firmly against her back. He waited patiently for her breathing to even out and then loosened his grip.

"What the bloody hell..." James asked with a furrowed brow and questioning glance at Peter. 'Was that all about?"

"You know it just as well as I do," Hermione seethed, getting riled up again. She gritted her teeth. "He. Is. A. Rat."

"Oh," Remus sighed, clearly relieved. "You know that we are animagi, then?"

Hermione took a sharp breath through her nose and tried to move away from Sirius; he wasn’t letting go. She closed her eyes and tried to gain back her sensibilities. Of course, she couldn't tell them what Peter would come to be. She sighed deeply and forced a chuckle. 

"Yes, sorry." She looked to Peter with what she hoped was a small, apologetic smile. "Vermin really creep me out." 

The tension ebbed away quickly as they burst into laughter. She felt Sirius’ chest rumble before he stepped out of her personal space. Hermione even joined in, hoping that she still didn't look murderous. 

Lily walked slowly to Hermione and whispered in her ear so that no one else could hear her, "I don't like them much either." Relieved that she wasn't the only one, Hermione smiled widely and finally laughed as genuinely as the others. 

"You know all of us, then," James observed. Hermione nodded and he continued, "Tell us what you know of us from back...now...then...This is weird," he grinned.

Even though it was confusing, Hermione understood. She took a seat in the crimson, squishy armchair next to Lily and began to tell them all she knew from the stories that she had been told. "Well, Messrs. Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs..." 

She grinned at their shocked faces. She guessed to herself that the map had not been confiscated yet, and the only people who knew that phrase was them. "You all wreak loads of havoc in the halls of this school whenever you get the chance. And the only balance to that," she glanced at Lily, who was holding back a proud smile, "is Ms. Evans, the potions marvel."

"Okay, this is strange," Remus grinned and then encouraged her to continue.. "What else?”

"James," she gestured her hands at him and smiled, “is a brilliant chaser. He transforms into a stag...and loves to torment, ah, Severus Snape, or as he likes to call him, Snivellus." 

“Hear, Hear,” James declared with pride until Lily shut him down with a simple glare. 

Hermione then turned to Peter, her eyes still screaming traitor, and said, "Peter...or Wormtail, as you call him, is a follower. He looks up to you, though there is nothing remarkable to be said about him." She smiled despite herself as everyone nodded and laughed. He looked hurt, but laughed nervously with the rest. 

She was beginning to enjoy the attention from the Marauders (and Lily) and continued quickly. "Remus is a..." She glanced to Remus, asking him with her eyes if everyone, including Lily, knew. When he nodded his approval, she went on, "..a werewolf. He is a Prefect and is a wonderful friend and a brilliant wizard. He tries - rather unsuccessfully - to keep you all in line." 

She smirked at Remus, who chuckled in his throat. "It's true. I do try," he said mischievously.

"Right. And I'm a troll," Sirius laughed heartily. 

"Lily," Hermione said loudly over James, Remus and Sirius’ banter, "is considerably like me. She is the brightest muggleborn witch of her age. She is brilliant at potions and charms and she prefers books to pleasure." 

Even Lily's demeanor resembled Hermione's as she grinned widely and flipped her hair over her shoulder. The girls snickered together before Hermione carried on. 

The next one, Sirius, was the one she was not looking forward to. She put him last because it hurt so much to think about it. He actually died in her lifetime and to watch him here, happy and full of life, was beyond difficuly. She pushed back the tears that were threatening her eyes and smiled almost shyly. 

"Sirius - or Padfoot - is a ladies’ man." Everyone chortled as Sirius stood up and took a less than graceful bow. "He is one of the most trustworthy men...boys...er.." Hermione coughed, "Though his is highly mischievous and when surrounded by friends he is an amazing troublemaker. He comes from a long line of horrid family, he has a brother in Slytherin, and he can charm people with his eyes." 

Hermione flushed and looked at the ground. When she felt her face cool down, she looked back up; James was shaking his head mid-laugh, Lily was giggling, and Remus was shooting a warning glare at Sirius. 

But Sirius, on the other hand, his stone gray eyes didn’t leave hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably mention a couple of things now. 1) the time travel is going to be very complicated here soon. Which, I believe, is part of the mystery and fun. And 2) really, really not lying about the Complicated Hexagon part - the tags to this story say “other ships not tagged” and that is the truth; there’s a lot of story to get through and a ton of hormones to boot. :)


	4. Chapter 4

For most of the following day, Hermione was entertained by the Marauders and Lily. The boys escaped to Hogsmeade and grabbed handfuls of sweets and drank butterbeer. Everyone knew that Hermione wouldn't talk of the future, so they bombarded her with questions about herself instead. Hermione was a little overwhelmed, not used to having so much attention, but she answered every question and eventually started to become comfortable with being the center of attention. 

She saw no harm in mentioning Harry, Ron, or Ginny - they were in no way related, yet. She disguised Harry's last name so that they wouldn't get suspicious of his parentage. The fivesome seemed awestruck at the stories that Hermione told from her first years at Hogwarts.    
  
"A troll in the girl’s lavatory?" Lily’s words were muffled under the hand over her mouth. "And three  _ first _ years battled it and won?"   
  
"Well, not so much me," Hermione smiled while she reminisced. "It was mainly Ron and Harry. They used a simple 'Wingardium Leviosa' charm and knocked it out."   
  
"Oh my..." Lily shook her head. “I’m surprised you weren’t expelled! The professors must have been furious about the troll. Who let a troll into the school?” 

Hermione chuckled nervously and chewed on her lip. “Can’t tell you that, sorry.”  

James smiled, nodding as if he agreed and hadn’t been badgering her for information about the future for twenty four hours straight. Sirius was on the edge of his seat, listening and taking in every word that Hermione said. Peter was fidgeting with his robes and trying not to look directly at Hermione; he was still afraid of her attacking him.   
  
"Yes, well...That was nothing compared to the Basilisk in second year," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "That was bloody terrifying, but it never did  _ kill _ anyone. I was only petrified.” 

  
Shocked gasps followed that statement, and everyone was eager to hear the story. Lily looked as though she was going to fall out of her chair from leaning in so far. James placed a hand on her shoulder to try and steady the redhead. 

"Harry actually killed it with Godric Gryffindor's sword. Ron's wand, that was snapped in half, obliviated our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's memory. He’s still insane to this....my day...weird.." Hermione let out a nervous laugh.

  
"What else?" Remus popped a chocolate frog in his mouth around a smile. He was so grown up in her time, it was nice to see him laid back and enjoying himself. Hermione smiled kindly at him. 

  
"You three are right little problem starters, eh?" Sirius had a proud smile forming on his lips. He didn’t take his eyes off her the whole time.    
  
"Not really. Problems tended to find us. Mainly because of Harry," Hermione kicked herself mentally for even bringing that up. Everyone stared at her with confused expressions. "Don't ask, you know I can't tell. Just assume that it's not good," she said while James was about to open his mouth. He closed his mouth instantly and sat back in the chair that he had subconsciously scooted out of. "Anyways...In third year we battled dementors, travelled in time, faced a werewolf...er..." she darted her eyes away from Remus and looked to the ground. "And we saved an innocent man from going to Azkaban." 

Her eyes travelled over to Sirius, meeting his in a staring contest. She could see that he was trying to read her mind and she was thankful for Occlumency lessons with Harry. Knowing Sirius then and now was the most difficult thing she’d ever faced. Especially when he was looking at her like  _ that.  _ Hermione turned her gaze away and tried to ignore the blush creeping up her chest. 

  
"Okay...That one might top some of ours.” James beamed. 

  
Remus nodded in agreement and ventured the question that was burning everyone's mind. "How did third years conjure a Patronus Charm...If you were battling dementors?"   
  
Hermione smiled fondly at the young Professor, "Harry learned from a teacher that he grew close to. His memories from the dementors were particularly horrible and this professor helped him overcome it. I didn't learn the charm until my fifth year during a defense club meeting we formed when the Ministry took over our Defense classes."   
  
"Seems like this Harry boy is quite the wizard," Lily‘s tone played around like she was implying something, but Hermione ignored it.   
  
"He is powerful," she giggled and said, "Doesn't think much of books though."   
  
"So...what about fourth year?" Peter finally spoke up.   
  
"The Triwizard Tournament came to Hogwarts," she started but she was cut off.   
  
"And Harry was chosen, wasn't he?" Asked James.   
  
"Well, yes...but there were four champions. Someone put Harry's name into the Goblet," Hermione said gravely. "I won't say anymore on that because it's too close to everything in the future," a final tone dripped from her lips.   
  
"You’ve been through a lot," Sirius said with a lopsided smile.   
  
"I know people who’ve been through worse," she responded sadly, trying to avoid their gazes.   
  
"It's us," Remus guessed. "Isn't it?"   
  
"No," Hermione lied quickly. "Just, people...other people." 

The five shared eye contact briefly and nodded in agreement - they would not pressure Hermione to tell anymore.   
  
The laughter started again as Sirius and James did a skit of a battle with a troll, trying to mimic Hermione's story. Even Hermione couldn't help but relieve a belly bursting laugh. Comfort came easy and quickly with the Marauders. 

She knew that the future for them would be awful, but she couldn't help letting herself get attached. She felt at home. The longer she watched the charades in front of her, the more she wished that she could stay with them for longer; she knew that she would have loads to tell Harry about his parents and mentors.    
  
Dumbledore came into their common room as they were getting ready to head to the Great Hall for dinner. "Seems that our new student is keeping you all occupied," he said with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "I am most pleased that you all are getting along. Hermione," he turned to face her, letting his eyes scan her face, "I feel that it is wise to wait to introduce you to the school until breakfast tomorrow. There will be less questions if you are brought in during the morning than at night."    
  
"Yes, sir," Hermione nodded. She was relieved that she didn't have to face a bunch of people on her first day here. "What should I do for dinner then, Headmaster?"   
  
Dumbledore answered quickly as if he already heard this questions a second before it was asked. "I will recommend that James stays with you here to keep you company, and that the others go to eat. They can make a good excuse for James' absence." Dumbledore inclined his head to James, who nodded with enthusiasm. "Dinner, you lot. Chop chop." 

He walked back out of the door, closing it gracefully behind him.Lily, Remus, and Peter all left behind Dumbledore, disappointed that they had to stop their fun. Lily, though, was excited about getting to do rounds tonight; she needed to feel authoritative as she explained to Remus as they exited the common room.    
  
"Sirius, mate, are you going down to dinner?" James asked hopefully.   
  
"No," he said with a huge grin. "I had that horrible break up with Aneela Patil. I'll wait until the storm blows over."

  
"Lovely," Hermione said rolling her eyes. "So...what's for dinner? I'm starving."   
  
James stood from his chair, staring at Hermione. "What's your fancy?"   
  
"Anything really," she thought out loud. "I haven't eaten much in the last week and I’m positively famished.”   
  
"Why?" asked Sirius, brow raised.    
  
"Boyfriend troubles," she faked a smile as Ron’s face popped into her mind. She really didn’t want to think about him now. 

James frowned and Sirius looked as though he wanted to run off and fix those boyfriend problems with his fist. She reassured them, though she wasn't sure why. "We broke up a week ago...He cheated on me."   
  
"What a git," James muttered. "If there is one thing-"   
  
"James," Sirius said with force, "It's not like we've never done it."   
  
"Well, he was always telling me that he loved me. I'm sure you've never done that - making a girl fall in love, telling her the same, and then cheat on her because she has...er...special plans for her...er," she blushed fuschia, "first time," she mumbled.    
  
Dawning comprehension shown on James and Sirius' faces followed by uncomfortable silence.. 

"So," James started, "I'll get the food." He dashed from the room and headed toward the kitchenette located in the dorm.    
  
Sirius was staring at Hermione, intently watching her every move. She fidgeted a lot. She hadn't been alone with Sirius and she was apprehensive about the situation. He raised one eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. 

"Why were you almost in tears when you were talking about me?"   
  
"It..." She didn't know what to say.  _ Damn _ , she scolded herself. She thought that she had hidden that fairly well.    
  
She was about to tell Sirius to mind his own business and stop asking questions, when James walked back into the room. He had three plates with piles of food and three glasses filled with pumpkin juice. Hermione dug into her food as soon as it was set down in front of her. The food was delicious; she had almost forgotten how wonderful the castle food was. She let a moan escape her throat as she bit into a particularly tasty piece of chicken.    
  
"Thanks," she mumbled when her mouth was finally empty.    
  
"Anytime," James smiled his enchanting smile and took a sip of pumpkin juice. “I’m very good at food. Er, cooking.”

“You got this from a house elf, you git,” Sirius muttered through a chuckle. 

James threw a halfhearted glare in his direction and Hermione laughed around her chicken. 

  
"Hermione," came a soft voice from the door. "Would you like to join me for rounds tonight?" Lily was standing in the door, eager for Hermione's answer.    
  
"Oh, I would love to, Lily. Is it okay with the Headmaster? He said I should stay here."   
  
"I asked. He said that it was a good idea to get you acclimated to the school while the halls aren’t crowded.”   
  
"Brilliant!"   
  
After chatting with the boys for a while longer, Lily and Hermione walked from the dorm, arm in arm, to go find trouble. Hermione could feel it in her heart that if Lily and Hermione went to school at the same time, they would have been best friends. She reminded her so much of Ginny, and was just as easy to talk to. They giggled as they walked down the hallway, stopping to take turns to tell off snogging students that were hidden in corners.    
  
Hermione looked over to Lily to tell her about a time that she had caught two Slytherins practically naked behind Boris the Bewildered, when she saw stunning emerald irises staring back at her. Lily, who had stopped walking, looked like she was going to burst. "I think I've figured it out," she said in a strange whisper.   
  
"Figured what out?" Hermione was a little confused by this sudden statement.   
  
"You go to school with our kids," Lily stated in a sort of questioning sense.    
  
Hermione smiled warmly. Lily was partly right. "Not exactly, Lily. It's more...I can't say," she said in a high pitched frustration. 

She stomped her foot to the ground. Above all else, she wanted to tell Lily to be careful; that Peter was a metaphorical rat and that he would be the reason that she dies. But, she did know better, and kept her mouth shut. Lily put a hand to her shoulder and offered a quiet apology. The girls continued walking, acting as though that scene didn't happen. It had only been two days and already Hermione couldn’t stand knowing what happened in just a few short years. It took all of her strength not to cry.    
  
"Psst. Hermione." Hermione heard a soft whisper in her ear as a gentle hand tugged on her elbow. After countless times of Harry doing this to her under his invisibility cloak, she knew that it was James. "Come with me," James requested.   
  
"Lily," Hermione squeaked, "Would it be more prudent for us to split up? We could get things done faster and get back to the common room."

Lily nodded in agreement, it was a great idea - they could get back to the boys quicker. Hermione continued, "I could do the library and you can do the Astronomy Tower."

  
Lily smiled and bounded to the Astronomy Tower. Hermione turned to face James, though she didn't know if she was looking the right way. "James," she exclaimed in a harsh whisper. "What are you doing?"   
  
"I want to spend some time with you, " he said taking her hand. "Away from everyone else."   
  
"That's sweet," Hermione smiled, pulling her hand slowly from James. "Where to, Mr. Potter?"   
  
"Call me James, please. I hate formalities."   
  
"It was supposed to be cute."   
  
"Coming from you? It was." She could practically hear the smile on his face.

  
James draped the cloak to cover Hermione and took off at a quick pace. He came to a halt in front of the wall that Hermione knew as the door to the Room of Requirement. He dragged her back and forth in front of the wall three times when finally a brass doorknob appeared on it. James smiled at Hermione, who blushed and returned his grin.    
  
She was amazed at his simplicity. The room that they entered was decorated exactly like the Head dorms; white walls and carpet, a roaring fire on the opposite wall from a single, green sofa. The only difference that Hermione could see was that there were no extra chairs around the fire. James grabbed Hermione's hand again and led her to sit on the fluffy sofa, close discarded. When she sat down on one side of the couch, James threw himself down right next to her.    
  
"You’re beautiful." His finger twisted in one of her many curls.

  
Hermione felt a flush start at the base of her neck and work it's way quickly up to her cheeks. He was so charming - his intent eyes, strong jaw, chiseled body that could be seen through his stupid form fitting clothes. His smile was wide as he watched her eyes grope at his features. She kicked herself mentally when she met his eyes. 

"Very flattering, James. But this can’t happen," though her stance was strong, her voice was weak. 

  
"Why not?" he whispered as he leaned closer to her. “I know you’re single.  _ I’m  _ single.”   
  
"Because I don't belong-" but she stopped when James was an inch away from her lips. 

He gazed at her openly, no shyness about him at all. James was all confidence and dimples and Merlin it was so hard to look away from him. When his eyes moved their way to her lips and back up to her eyes, Hermione took in a slow breath. She didn't stop what happened next, though she knew that she should have. 

James' lips caught hers in a soft, lingering kiss. He felt so  _ right  _  and  _ warm _ , and so she obliged quickly when he moved his tongue over her lips, requesting entrance. Hermione moved her hands to cup the back of his neck; she was pulling him closer. While he was being tugged toward her, James slowly began to push her downward onto the couch.    
  
Hermione startled when her back hit the arm of the settee and came to her senses as she became lost in his passion. It was wrong, so wrong, and while it felt so  _ right _ , she couldn’t do this. Not with James, not knowing everything she did. Hermione pulled away from the kiss, her lips wet and swollen. Her eyes darkened to the color of coffee. She watched another smile creep across James' face as his hand ruffled his hair.    
  
"I'm sorry," Hermione said regretfully, looking away from James. He took his finger and put it under her chin to force her to look at him. He quirked an eyebrow, clearly not understanding what she was apologizing for. She explained with four hurtful words. "This shouldn't have happened."   
  


 

  
**_Meanwhile..._ ** ****__  
  
Lily walked toward the Astronomy Tower, peering into corners and trying to catch wrong-doers. Disappointed that she hadn't caught any, she ascended the staircase leading to the tower. She walked slowly to the space that was open below the stars, shocked to see a dark figure leaning against the ramparts. Lily drew her wand and aimed it at the boy's back.   
  
"What are you doing here," she said with impressive authority. "You are out of bounds after curfew."   
  
"Lils! Pleasant surprise," declared the boy, revealing that he was, in fact, Remus. He offered her a friendly smile and gestured for her to join him in his star gazing.    
  
"Remus, you gave me a fright," she said, blushing at his outstretched hand.    
  
"Don't lie," he said as if knowing what was going on in her head. "I know you were here in hopes of catching a snogging Slytherin couple."   
  
Lily smiled brightly, her green eyes shining in the waning moonlight. After a few quiet moments, she turned to Remus. "It's strange, isn't it?"   
  
"Your need to piss off the Slytherins?"   
  
She rolled her eyes and snickered, "That Hermione girl."   
  
"Ah, yes," he sighed as he fisted his hands into his pockets. He turned his attention back to the stars. "She certainly seems emotional around us."   
  
"Yes, especially Sirius. You don't suppose-"   
  
"You know better than to ask, Lils."   
  
"She almost called you Professor," Lily near-shouted as she tossed her arms up in frustration. The pain of not knowing her and her friends future when someone held all of that knowledge was overwhelming her. "She almost attacked Peter...Not that I blame her... And, did you see the way she looks at James? She felt more comfortable with him than she did with even the Headmaster!" Her chest was heaving as she stuck her finger out at Remus. "Please, tell me you are noticing all of this."   
  
Remus took one quick step toward her and pulled her into a hug. "Things change, Lily. We can’t  guess what all of this means. It’s not for us to know yet," he whispered into her hair. He was stroking her back while she was calming her breathing against his chest. "James loves you, you know?"   
  
"I don't love him. We just started to become friends and I'm not going to ruin it," she sniffed. "Plus, he's an arrogant prat."   
  
"I know that about him too, but I still love him," Remus said reassuringly.   
  
"It's not going to happen Remus." 

Lily looked up to his serious face. He seemed truly concerned for her. He swept a piece of her straight ginger hair from her eyes, and let his thumb caress her cheek. He leaned in close to her face, his lips grazing her cheek. 

He whispered into her ear, "We'll know soon enough." 

The hairs on Lily’s neck were standing on end as shivers ran down her spine. He pulled his mouth from her cheek and moved it gracefully to her full lips. He lingered there for only a moment before he retracted. He looked sweetly into her eyes before he turned away. 

  
Lily stood with her hand to her tingling lips, watching her best friend walk away. 


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione tossed and turned all night, fighting off dreams of James confessing his undying love for her. She protested to him that it wasn't right, that he was her best friend’s father and it was wrong, wrong, wrong. But, James wouldn't hear it. 

Hermione woke up doused in sweat and immediately began berating herself for the kiss she shared with James. Never mind that she’d kissed him back quite brazenly and that his lips tasted like butterbeer and chocolate. It was unacceptable, a despicable display on her part - she couldn’t stay here, couldn’t grow attached to these people, even if James’ eyes lit up when they captured hers in a staring contest and his body was invitingly warm and molded against hers so effortlessly. And sure, he was handsome - too handsome if anyone asked her opinion - but that didn’t make it right that she practically melted into him the second he showered her with attention.

It couldn’t happen. They belonged to different worlds, different times, and they had obligations to their futures. It would be unfair for her to let him give his heart to her, especially because she would be leaving soon; leaving all of this behind as a mere memory. But, even though she could and would deny her feelings for James, she couldn't help but picture his crooked smile and the endearing way he snuck sideways glances at her when he thought she wasn’t looking. It was adorable and it made her feel special, and dammit, she  _ liked _ feeling that way. She couldn't shake him from her thoughts.    
  
And then there was Sirius.

Sirius, with intense, grey eyes that burned into hers as if he saw something no one else could. He was definitely handsome and in a devil-may-care way that caused the friction of desire - desire to run, desire to stay. Hermione already knew that it was not going anywhere - no matter if she wanted it to or not. Add to it that Sirius was a known enchanter of ladies, which was not ideal in a partner, and there was no way that it could possibly work between them. And the thought of coming between two boys who were practically brothers made her nauseous.

She wasn't sure why she was even entertaining these thoughts. She’d be leaving soon and they would not remember her. She’d be returning to the exact moment that she left and it would be as if it never happened. The only person it would truly hurt was her, really. If she thought about it logically, and she was trying so desperately to, it wasn't worth it.

She finally shoved herself from her bed and summoned a tea with a flick of her wand. It was still too early to wander the castle, the sun hasn’t begun to rise yet. Hermione stared at the velvet night sky, watching the stars in their languid path across the sky until, at long last, light broke through the darkness. It was another quarter of an hour before Lily popped her head into the room with a cheery smile on her face.

“Hermione, advanced potions class is today and the Headmaster gave me permission to bring you along. Let's go get breakfast so that you can meet everyone else in the Slug Club.”   
  


Hermione let out a low grumble, knowing exactly how Slughorn’s little club was devised. She forced her best smile and agreed to go anyway. It would keep her away from James and she definitely needed the space. She made quick work of cleaning herself up and donning her new Gryffindor robes - the very same that she had in the nineties. As soon as she walked from her room and started bounding down the stairs, James appeared in her path. 

Bloody map. 

  
"Er...Sorry," she breathed awkwardly as his hands moved immediately to her waist. “James, I really don’t have time for this.”

He raised one eyebrow and removed his hand, but he didn’t get out of her way. “I only wanted to say good morning.” 

“Good morning.” She stepped to the right and he stepped with her, so she stepped to the left only to have him follow her to the left. “James. Please.”

It was more than a request, it was a plea. She couldn’t do this. His hair was wild around his head and his eyes did that mischievous dance that was completely James. It hurt. Wanting him, it caused an ache in her heart and she couldn’t reach for him and tell him she was sorry for the night before or that she wished they could have more. He belonged with Lily. In order for Hermione to have Harry in the future, James had to be with Lily. 

Hermione put a hand flat against James’s shoulder and pushed until he moved out of her way. She tried to convey her apology with a frown, but he kept watching her with that goofy, light hearted smile. Instead of playing into it, Hermione descended the stairs and kept her focus on Lily who was watching a thin, brown-haired man in the portrait above the fireplace performing countless glamour charms. Lily wore a light blue blouse and a black skirt that came to just above her knee.

Hermione looked at her outfit strangely, and then looked down to her own house robes. "Where are your robes?"

  
"Oh," Lily giggled as she side-eyed Hermione in her frumpy robes.. "It's Sunday and it’s not an actual class. Maybe we can find you something else to wear.”   
  
Hermione nodded but Lily was already heading up the stairs to her room. James appeared beside her with his hands in his pockets and pretended to be amazed by the same portrait he’d probably watched a hundred times. She fought a smile as she turned her eyes away from him. 

  
"Hey," he started lightly, "can we talk?"   
  
"Please, James," she said with exasperation,” I've already told you-"    
  
Two fingers pressed against her lips and she mumbled into them with raised eyebrows. He truly wouldn’t give up. Once she was silent, he trailed a single finger from her lip to her cheek and stepped closer to her. "You can't resist me forever, love."   
  
"We don't have forever to find out.” She was positive that she  _ couldn’t  _ resist this forever, not with his attention so focused on her. It was chiseling away at her, piece by piece. But, Merlin, she had to remain strong. Hermione pulled herself away from him, just a short step to gather her wits. “I only have until Professor Dumbledore finds out how to send me back. I think I can control myself until then."   
  
"I think this jumper will suit you," Lily sang happily as she approached the quiet pair. If she noticed anything awkward, Hermione couldn’t tell. “It will go wonderfully with your skin tone. And here are some corduroy trousers are all the rage in the muggle world right now.for you.”

“Thanks,” Hermione whispered as she took the clothes from Lily. Without another look to James, she spun around and went to change.    
  
After adjusting Lily’s clothing to fit her shorter stature, Hermione tied her chaotic mess of hair back into a tight knot and headed down the stairs. An energetic Lily and a sulking James led her to the Gryffindor common room to grab the other Marauders so that they could all head to the Great Hall for breakfast together. While she and Lily would attend an extra class, the boys would hit the Quidditch pitch for pre-season practice. 

As she entered the hall, curious eyes from every table watched her move. It was highly irregular for transfer students to start after school was already in session, so the whispers that broke out through the hall were expected. Her eyes roved through the different house tables and snapped back to Gryffindor quickly after a group of Slytherins sneered at her. James muttered under his breath about the school rivalry back, which Hermione told him was the same in her time. Possibly worse, she told him, thinking of Draco and Pansy.   
  
"May I have your attention, please," Dumbledore bellowed through the hall. "I would like to announce the arrival of a new student to Hogwarts.” He gestured to the Gryffindor table. “Hermione joined Hogwarts to attend advanced classes for a short period of time and will share a dormitory with the Head Boy and Girl.” 

When the student body broke into an excited buzz again, the Headmaster sat down behind the staff table and took a sip of tea, examining Hermione over his cup. Hermione got the impression that Professor Dumbledore knew more than he let on, but as he offered her a serene smile she felt the worry melt away. 

  
After nibbling at her breakfast and meeting the Gryffindors nearby, Hermione and Lily set off toward the dungeons for their class.

“Things with James seem sort of… tense,” Lily ventured curiously when they were out of the boys’ earshot. “I have to admit that it’s nice having his attention somewhere else. He’s relentless.”

Hermione chuckled. “How you’ve managed to fend him off for seven bloody years, I’ll never understand.” 

“He’s sweet,” Lily conceded, nervously sparing a glance around and Hermione understood that if James heard their conversation he’d be insufferable. “I almost considered dating him. Almost said yes the last time he asked me to Hogsmeade. But-“

“Change of heart?” Hermione guessed as she walked through the door Lily was propping open. 

“Well, you showed up and he sort of… stopped,” Lily sighed. “And then last night, Remus-“

“Ah! Lovely Lily!” Hermione would know his voice anywhere, still jovial and louder than necessary. “And you must be Hermione. The Headmaster informed me that you’re very knowledgeable and will do well in my class.” 

He winked at her. All for show, of course, since Slughorn would be working on the potion to send her back to the nineties. 

  
“There are some rules to this class that differ from the, uhm, traditional classes abroad.” Hermione nodded in understanding, and the professor continued. "You work alone in these extra lessons and follow the instructions on the board. Supplies are in the cupboard. Let's see how good you are then, shall we?”

Hermione was confident enough to follow instructions. Though, her  _ last _ potion didn’t exactly turn out the way it should have. 

“Please take this desk," Slughorn said as he pointed to the table between Lily and a skinny boy with long greasy black hair.    
  
Hermione gasped as she looked onto her young potions master. He really did look miserable, but superior at the same time. His black eyes glittered as he surveyed every move she made. She wanted to speak to him, to tell him a lot of things she probably shouldn’t. Instead of doing what was sure to cause a scene, Hermione walked to the storage cupboard and when her arms were full of supplies she laid them gracefully on the black table top. She could feel him at her shoulder taking stock of her choices and as her eyes met the blackboard, she smiled. 

_ Euphoria. An elixir to induce general feelings of extreme happiness.  _

And there was one bloke nearby who Hermione thought could use an entire vial full. 

A smile crept up her face as she added all of the necessary ingredients to her cauldron and kindled the flame beneath it. She’d brewed the elixir before and Harry suggested using a special ingredient. Her potion was okay, but Harry’s had earned full marks. While she was frustrated and frizzy and downright temperamental after that brew, Hermione conceded that perhaps, maybe, potions could be perfected over time with new instructions. When her potion was brewing, as instructed on the board, she waltzed up to Professor Slughorn.

She whispered a question and stifled back a grin  at his amused chuckle. He answered her by pointing a chubby finger to a rack that hung on the stone wall. He watched as she strolled to the rack and removed one tiny vial. Lily’s eyes scornfully followed Hermione until they were side by side. 

“The instructions don’t say-“

Hermione smiled and shook her head. It had once been her that would refuse to go outside of the instructions. Even after the incident with Snape’s potions book, Harry retained a certain knack for potioneering. When she saw the result of Harry's potion, she couldn't help but admire his instinct.

“It’s instinct,” she told Lily quietly as she sprinkled a bit of the liquid into her cauldron. 

  
Black glittering eyes watched her add the secret oil from behind a curtain of black hair. A small smile curved the corner of his lips as he said, "Brilliant," in a low, hissing whisper.    
  
Hermione turned to the source of the voice and she lifted her chin proudly. Her professor-to-be was watching, fascinated by her sudden stroke of intellect. He’d never quite given her praise before and despite his young age now, Hermione found she appreciated it anyway. When she looked up from the potion again, she found shining black eyes relentlessly staring back. Hermione grinned at him and began stirring her potion per the instructions.

After another half hour passed, Professor Slughorn clapper his hands together and announced that time was up. "Let's see how well you’ve all done." 

He walked around the classroom, sniffed a few cauldrons but barely grimaced. It wasn’t at all what Hermione was used to in a potions class, even an advanced class with those who scraped Es in their OWLs. When he reached Lily, his eyes sparkled. He beamed and offered her sincere congratulations on a seemingly flawless potion. His eyes then slid over Hermione's potion to Snape's. 

"Brilliant, Mr. Snape! Nothing short of what I would have expected. Now," he said turning and quirking a thick, unruly eyebrow at Hermione. "Here is the instinct of a true potion maker." He tilted his head up to Hermione, and smiled proudly. "Tell us, Miss Granger, what did you do differently?"   
  


"Added essence of peppermint, sir." A slight blush tinted her cheeks but she tried to sound confident as she addressed the Professor. 

  
"And why, class, would she want to do that? Going directly against one of the rules of the class, I might add," he said heartily as he blew out a small chuckle.    
  
"To cease the side effects of hiccups that often occur with this particular elixir," Snape’s monotone voice slithered. "Clever.” 

She offered him a soft smile when her gaze met his. To her surprise he returned it with a true, thin-lipped, smile. 

  
Everyone looked impressed, everyone except Lily, who frowned at her cauldron. She looked… jealous? The same way Hermione felt when Harry succeeded in 6th year potions. Hermione wrestled  the stirring of guilt. Proving her worth was something that she needed to do wherever she went. It was just a facet of who she was; never give them a chance to believe she didn’t belong. Of course she could understand that Lily felt the same. She tried to catch the redhead’s eye, but couldn’t get Lily’s attention.

  
"Five points to Slytherin for knowledge of the extra ingredient," Slughorn announced as he patted his portly belly. "And ten points to Gryffindor for sheer instinct."


	6. Chapter 6

Lily was distant after the Potions incident. Hermione got the cold shoulder in the common room more than once in the following twenty four hours. While she put it down to Lily being shown up in class, Remus assured her that it wasn’t so simple. He’d been on the receiving end of her clipped tone and serious glare, too. Apparently, Lily was avoiding him, too, though Hermione had no idea why. Remus was lovely and clearly harbored some romantic feelings toward the redhead. 

Hermione had bigger problems than Lily. Everytime she turned around, either James or Sirius were lurking over her shoulder. She guessed that Lily told Remus, who in turn told the other two, that Snape had taken a liking to her. It wasn’t a lie. Somehow, Hermione managed to catch the interest of her younger potions master. It should have brought about awkward feelings or uneasiness, at least. But, it didn’t. Hermione found that, at least at first, she enjoyed surprising Severus with her intellect. 

In Monday’s regular Potions class, he gestured to the seat beside him as Hermione passed by. She smiled down at him but took the desk in front of him where James sat. She struck James on the back of the head when he turned to Severus and grinned like a smug toerag.

“You’d think I’d say ‘ow’ and defend myself,” James said with a crooked smile while massaging the back of his head, “but I don’t want to discourage you from touching me.” 

Hermione rolled her eyes and suppressed a twitch of her lips. She felt Severus’ eyes on her back and refused to turn around, worried that she’d stoke the fire between the boys if she apologized on James’ behalf. 

“Feel free to continue running your fingers through my hair,” James whispered loud enough for half the class to hear. 

“Maybe next time I’ll run my fingers through your hair with my History of Magic text.” She couldn’t stop her grin when his lips lifted and his eyes sparkled without even glancing in her direction.

She opened Advanced Potion Making to the page indicated on the board and began to read. Of course, she’d already read the entire book cover to cover several times, but it gave her something to concentrate on that wasn’t James. He mumbled to himself as his eyes skimmed the words and he tapped his thumb against the desk in an uneven rhythm. Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, glancing back and forth between his tapping and her book. The kiss she shared with James replayed as her heart mimicked his rapping. She never should have allowed the kiss, never should have kissed him back, and probably shouldn’t have chosen the seat next to him in class which surely was just encouraging him more. 

“If you continue to look at me like that, I’m going to haul you against one of the cupboards and ravage you senseless.” 

She flushed and snapped her eyes back to the book. 

“Don’t let Prongs’ threats scare you, Hermione.” Sirius stood at her side and placed a strong hand on her shoulder. When she met his eyes, he offered her a sly smirk. “He’s not the type to take what he wants. He doesn’t read body language well. Me, on the other hand…”

Hermione’s lips parted to speak what she hoped was a snappy retort, but before she could get a word out, Professor Slughorn entered the classroom and ushered the students into their seats. As she watched Sirius’ lithe frame drop into a seat next to Peter, Hermione couldn’t take her eyes off him. 

Not until James nudged her with his elbow and chuckled into her ear. “He’s only messing about. Sirius doesn’t do the long-term relationship thing.”

It took several minutes and a lecture from Slughorn about the importance of lacewing flies for Hermione to break her gaze away from Sirius’ back. 

  
  


~*~

  
  


On Friday after lessons, Hermione excused herself from James and Sirius to go to the library. She was going to do her Bubble Head Charm essay, though it wasn't due until Monday. She needed to get away from the constant attention. They were starting to drive her crazy. Not that they weren't funny and friendly, but they kept asking her about Severus, and made asinine jokes at his expense. 

When she arrived in the library, she glanced around and saw Severus at a secluded table in the back next to an oil lamp, scribbling on a piece of parchment with his Defense Against the Dark Arts book propped up against his other books. His black hair hung like a curtain over his face, casting an erie shadow over the other parts of his face that were showing. Hermione made herself comfortable at the table next to him. She began to unpack her bag, taking out her charms book, some parchment and a quill, when she heard a hissing whisper from the next table.    
  
"You can sit here if you like," Severus said, catching Hermione's eye. He moved his books over to make room for her things. When he saw her start to move her stuff, he went right back to his homework.    
  
"Thank you," Hermione responded gratefully. She set her bag down and walked back to get her books. When she was walking back around the table, Severus muttered an incantation to float her books to the table for her. 

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a while and long after the library emptied. The only noises were scratching quills on parchment and steady, quiet breathing between the two. Hermione would glance to Severus occasionally and he’d shift as if nervous under her gaze, and then she’d go straight back to her homework only to feel his eyes on her a few seconds later. After the sun went down, Severus finally broke the silence.

  
"Why do you hang around those knobheads?” 

She couldn’t very well tell him that it was a natural friendship because of the nature of her relationship with Harry. So, she settled for a simpler explanation. “Because they’re kind and they’re fun to be around.”

Snape scoffed. " _ They _ ," he emphasized, "are nowhere near your intelligence. Except, possibly, Lily. She has brains, but she is a Mudblood."

Hermione’s posture went rigid. "Excuse...You know, nevermind. I'm not dealing with someone like  _ you _ ," Hermione growled as she shoved her books away. "I should have known."   
  
"You're a...You aren't pureblood?” His face suddenly softened, frown lines formed at his lips. 

"No.” She sniffed sharply through her nose and raised her chin. "Goodbye." 

She left the library with anger thrumming through her body. Snape just stared at her as she left; she didn't even look back. Why was it always about blood? Wasn't it possible for someone to be smart and muggleborn at the same time? Did no one understand that she didn't choose to be born to muggles? But, even if she had a choice, she’d choose the Grangers every time.

Hermione reached the Head dorms and peaked her head inside. When she saw no one, she sighed in relief and bounded up the stairs to her room. She laid on her bed, stomach down, and began writing her essay. A short time later, she heard a loud slam from down stairs. Hermione walked to the door and listened closely to the two boys arguing downstairs.    
  
"James, you can't do this! You're supposed to be in love with Lily," Sirius boomed.   
  
"Keep your voice down! They could be here," James said in a strained whisper.    
  
"No, mate. Lily is off with Moony in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione is in the library. Do you even use the map anymore?”

  
"So, why is this a problem?” James asked as the sound of soft thump punctuated his question.    
  
"Because, Prongs, you can’t have both! If you go after Hermione, you’re leaving Lily open for anyone. And when Hermione goes back to the future and you're alone, Lily won’t be your fallback."   
  
"Maybe that's what I want!” James wasn’t shouting, but Hermione could never imagine the way he raised his voice. Especially to Sirius. 

  
"You want Hermione gone and Lily with someone like Snivellus?"   
  
"No, I want Lily off of my mind. It's never going to happen with Lily and focusing on Hermione has been helping me move on.” 

Hermione pulled a face and it seemed that Sirius agreed with her thoughts.

  
"That’s  _ wrong, _ James! Using another woman to get your mind off of the woman you love?" Sirius scoffed, a disbelieving noise. 

“Says the bloke who’s shagged half of Hufflepuff,” James laughed and shook his wild head of hair.

“I’m not meant for someone the way that you’re meant for Lily.” Sirius lowered his voice. “I know she’s playing hard to get, but you two are meant for each other. We all know it.”

It was always going to be James and Lily, Hermione knew that. But James was so… sweet and attentive and genuinely funny, that if Hermione was born in this time, she wouldn’t understand how Lily could ignore him for so long. Still, Sirius was right, even if Lily ignored James for another year, she’d eventually give in.

"I think I know what this is about. You fancy her, don't you?"

As soon as the words left James’ mouth and hung in the air, Hermione stepped out of her room and stood at the top of the stairs, wand in hand. The air was instantly thick. 

Sirius’ gray eyes darkened as he ran a hand across his stubbly chin. He tried to make a joke, give James a chance to take it back. "Sorry, Prongs, Lily isn’t my type."

But, of course, James, much like Harry, couldn’t take a hint. "I wasn't talking about Lily.”

Sirius remained quiet for a long time and Hermione desperately wanted him to say something. She held her breath, waiting for him to correct James. James was wrong, of course, couldn’t read a room or sense a tone at all. There was no way that Sirius -

"Yes, okay?” His voice was quiet, almost apologetic around a huff of air. “Hermione is fanciable. She’s fit."

Something ached deep in her soul. To hear him say the words out loud somehow shined a light on a feeling she’d had since she first looked into his eyes. Something… familiar, and not in Harry’s Godfather kind of way, but in a rekindling of a lost love sort of way and it was  _ terrifying.  _ She held her breath still and gripped her wand so tight that it would give her blisters. 

  
"Padfoot, you can have any girl you want.” James sounded hurt, somewhat dejected. “Why does it have to be her?"   
  
"She's different."

Hermione wondered if he felt the same way that she felt, an old sort of feeling. A timeless one. 

  
"Everyone is different.” James argued and Hermione found herself shaking her head. No, this was something else. Sirius was right. “Leave her for me. I really like her."   
  
"Listen, Prongs. You’ve been after Evans for a while now. She's warming up to you now that you've settled down. Try her again." She watched as Sirius places a hand on James’ shoulder, consoling like a brother. 

"I feel something for Hermione. And I think she feels it too.” James shrugged off Sirius’ hand and turned away. 

Hermione couldn’t see his face but with tense shoulders and a hand lifted as if pinching the bridge of his nose, she could guess how he felt. She thought it was strange how the sadness for him seeped into her heart. How did she feel so strongly for these boys so quickly? It was a worry she didn’t have time to dwell on as Sirius broke the silence.

"You know that this can only last until she leaves.”   
  
"Is that why you are so eager? That way you won't even have to ditch her..."   
  
_ WHAM! _ __  
  
She heard it first, but then saw Sirius’s fist falling to his side. Hermione jumped and ran down the stairs to find a bloody-lipped James. She put her arm out to help him up and sat him down on the couch. Livid, she glared at Sirius and turned James’ chin so that he was facing her. 

"You're here.” His lips split into a smile and leaked the barest drop of blood. 

"And I heard every word," Hermione said truthfully as she held her wand to his lip and muttered a healing spell. "I can't say you didn't deserve it."   
  
"Hermione, I..."   
  
"Where is Sirius?" She cut him off and looked around for Sirius. When she didn't see him, she stood from the sofa and spun toward the door. She knew that when he was angry he did things that he’d regret. And, she wanted to tell him off for punching his friend like some sort of muggle wrestler.

"He left," James said as he stood and pressed his shoulder to hers. "Let's go get him. He’s not in his right mind, obviously."   
  
Hermione nodded and they moved in sync from the Head dorm to find Sirius.   
  
  


~*~   
  


  
Sirius was beyond frustrated. Did his best friend really think that he was that shallow? Of course, he did love and leave quickly, but no girl ever sparked his interest like Hermione. She was beautiful, clever, obviously dangerous, and mysterious. But, something more. She was familiar in a way he’d never known. Not quite the kinship he had with the Marauders, but something deeper in his soul that lit up when he was in her presence. 

He blew through the halls and barely paused when Remus caught him by the elbow. 

  
"Padfoot, what's wrong?" A disheveled-looking Remus whispered. 

  
"Nothing,” he growled and pushed past Remus, heading in the opposite direction. "You alright?"

  
"Lily and I had a row. She gets irate when she’s studying," he chuckled.    
  
Sirius nodded and stalked off. He had no idea where he was headed, but he wanted to find somewhere where no one would look for him. He needed to let off steam. All of the ridicule from James turned into the hatred he felt towards his parents for the way they always treated him. Before he knew it, he was mad at James how he was mad at his mother. They were both constantly judging his every move. He knew James meant well, knew that the words were meant to dissuade him from Hermione, knew that James would  _ never _ treat him so horribly on purpose. 

But, he was fucking  _ livid.  _

  
"Sirius," a soft, friendly voice called out to him. He glanced around and saw a mane of red hair. "What are  _ you _ doing in the library?"   
  
"Didn't want anyone to find me," he sulked. "Who would look  _ here _ for  _ me _ ?"   
  
Lily laughed. "True. Too True." She stopped laughing and looked seriously at the saddened expression on Sirius' face. Her smile fell. "What happened?"   
  
"Potter and I--"   
  
"Since when do you call him Potter?"   
  
"Since he shit on my integrity," Sirius sneered. "And since punched him, I’m not really sure I deserve to call him much else."   
  
"You  _ what _ ?" Her hand covered her mouth. 

  
"He deserved it," Sirius said through gritted teeth. Though, he wasn’t sure he believed the words as he said them. He could never take back what he did, but neither could James take back his words. 

He found himself already lamenting his friendship. So many horrible things came to mind; moving back home, losing a brother, facing the darkening world and all it tried to demand of him without the strength of his friends. He was nothing without James and he all but secured the ruin of all the good things that held him together. 

  
Lily walked slowly to Sirius and put a hand on his chest and lightly curled her fingers into his shirt. At her touch, Sirius looked into Lily's emerald eyes and tried to see what James once saw there. He knew that he was just upset about how he left James, but part of him wanted to destroy everything. Demolish it in one fell swoop. He didn’t deserve anything as pure as James’ friendship. He didn’t deserve a love that James would surely get and so he did the only thing he knew would secure a lonely future. He stepped closer Lily and felt her breath catch between them. His gray eyes darkened to the color of wet cement as he moved quickly towards her, filling in the small gap.    
  
"Sirius...no," she whispered. 

Her breath mingled with his and he pretended not to hear her as he planted his lips on hers. He knew it was wrong immediately. Like a sibling, almost, and definitely not a romantic sort of feeling. His lips lingered on hers for only as long as it took him to decide it was wrong and then they shoved away from each other. It was too late, of course. 

James’ voice broke through the dense silence and cut through Sirius like a welcomed knife in the gut. “You son of a-“

He didn't hear the rest as Lily’s hand collided with the side of his face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter underwent crazy, intense editing from its original version, so if you’re a fan of the original posting you’ll likely notice a lot of differences in this chapter. I hope you’re enjoying the ride. We’re going to get fluffy and then angsty and then timey-wimey. XD Thanks for reading!!


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione followed at James’ heels so quickly that she nearly slammed into him when he skidded to a stop in front of her. His shoulders were tense, hands folded into fists in the pockets of his trousers. Instinct took over and she placed an open palm on his bicep. It strained under his touch as if it was taking a lot of effort to keep still and quiet. After a beat, Hermione felt James tremble under her touch and clenched at his muscle when he started forward again. 

“You son of a-“

“James!” Hermione hissed at James and yanked on his arm to pull him back to her. “Don’t-“

Lily reacted before James could get close enough. Her small hand caught Sirius hard around the cheek as her face flushed a deep crimson color. 

"What the hell is your problem, Black?" Lily shouted and took a big step away from Sirius. She didn’t even notice her audience. "What makes you think that I would  _ ever _ want to kiss  _ you _ ? You are so out of line!” 

“Evans, I didn’t -“ Sirius tried to step forward but James walked in front of Lily, dragging Hermione with him, and narrowed his eyes. “James, I-“

“Enough, Sirius. Fucking hell, mate.” James reached out and gripped Sirius by the shoulder. Hermione couldn’t tell how rough he was, but Sirius jerked his eyes up to meet James. “You don’t have to fucking punish yourself, alright. I  _ know  _ you don’t fancy her, so stop being a twat.

Hermione’s wide eyes stared between the two boys. She wanted to laugh at how earnest James was in explaining to Sirius his own behavior; instant forgiveness and not a shred of animosity and it was so very in line with everything Sirius had ever told her about James back in her own time. Tears built up in her eyes because she  _ knew _ that kind of love and friendship and she suddenly realized here, watching these Marauders, that Harry somehow inherited the best qualities of them all. She balled up her own hand into the sleeve of James’ shirt and half-heartedly hit him. 

“It didn’t mean anything,” Sirius said through a frown as he closed his eyes and then scrubbed his hands over his face. “Dammit, Prongs. Why are you so goddamn noble?” 

James’ face split into a grin and his grip on Sirius loosened. “Too many fairy tales from mum when I was a kid. Knight in shining armor complex.”

Lily caught Hermione’s eye and both forced their lips straight so as not to encourage their behavior. Merlin forbid they figure out that their friendship, and all its ridiculous antics, were quite charming. When Lily’s gaze traveled over Hermione’s shoulder, her face went slack. Hermione glanced back and saw Remus with the same forced, tight lips and sparkle of mischief in his dark eyes. 

Lily ducked her head and moved to Remus’ side. She hid her mouth behind a cupped hand and whispered, “It wasn't what it looked like."   
  
Remus grimaced and put his hand on hers, pulling it away from her mouth without letting go. "I know. You look way too annoyed for that to have been fun." 

His lips pressed against her hand and she chuckled at him as he led her from the library. Remus glanced back to his friends and Hermione couldn’t help but smile at their dumbfounded expressions, knit brows and tilted heads. Clueless boys.

“Er, Moony, I didn’t…” Sirius gripped the back of his neck and attempted a crooked grin. 

“You couldn’t have,” Remus said with a kind smile before looking at James. The moment mattered, and Hermione could feel his uncertainty. “James…”

“No worries, mate.” James lifted his chin. “She’s all yours.” 

Hermione winced as the words left his mouth, but Lily beat her to saying anything. 

“Beg your pardon, but don’t I get a say in this?” She lifted their joined hands and a single eyebrow. 

“Nope.”

“No.”

“Sorry, love.” Remus chuckled and kissed the back of her hand again before they left the library. 

  
"Prongs, honestly, I..." Sirius threw a hand through his hair. "I told you that she wasn't my type...I was just...I was... You know how I get.” Sirius let a small smile form on his lips.    
  
"I know, Padfoot. You're a git. I don't like you any less,” James laughed. 

Hermione looked between the two boys, letting a breath go that she didn't realize she was holding. It was amazing to see that these two were such good friends that they could let something like this slide. Ron and Harry would be at each other's throats. Hermione smiled widely at the two who quickly put the whole mess behind them and began joking and laughing about Peter snogging Bertha behind a statue of Boris the Bewildered. 

  
"If you'll excuse me," Hermione said politely as she turned to leave.    
  
"Hermione, wait. I… er… there’s Hogsmeade tomorrow. Would you like to go with me?" James looked to Hermione hopefully, not faltering a bit when she huffed under her breath.    
  
"I don't think that's..."   
  
"Just as friends," James added in hastily. "Nothing more."   
  
"Okay, I'll go just as friends. So who else are we going to go with?" She raised a brow and crossed her arms. Of course she knew he didn’t have a plan, but wasn’t surprised when he turned to Sirius to help him out. 

  
"Sorry, mate, I've got a lass who would be put out should I promise myself to another for the day.” Sirius’ smirk told the full story and suddenly Hermione felt nauseated. 

  
"Oh," Hermione breathed. She steadied herself and jutted her chin in his direction. "Well, then, looks like it will be just you and I, James." 

James' expression brightened considerably. He clapped his hands together and smiled. "Well, I'm off to get my needed beauty sleep, which is entirely unrelated to Hogsmeade weekend. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Hermione’s swallowed around a dry throat. “Sure.”

She could feel Sirius’ gaze on her as she watched James leave the library. Suddenly warm and red around the cheeks, Hermione tried to smile in his direction. She failed spectacularly. 

“A date with James?” Sirius asked her in a strange tone that wanted to be cheerful and fell short. 

“Not a date,” she amended quickly. “A butterbeer with a friend. You’re the one with a date. Who is she, by the way?”

Of course she was curious, but less nervous because she knew the reality that Sirius never settled. She’d have to watch him take his fill of women but never truly have love. It brought about those sad feelings she’d been trying to avoid earlier, and she found it difficult to meet his eyes. 

“A Hufflepuff, naturally. No one important,” he told her with a wave of his hand. And then he smirked again.  “No need to be worried.”

“I wasn’t,” Hermione told him through a tight throat. She didn’t even try to look at him before she tore off through the doors and headed to the dormitory. 

  
  


  
~*~   
  


 

  
As Remus walked Lily back to the dormitory, he started thinking about asking her on a date to the Hogsmeade weekend. He saw the flyer the day before, but held off asking her because he wasn't sure of her feelings. After the escapade with Sirius, he was sure that she had some feelings toward him that weren’t entirely platonic. He was just about to turn and ask Lily to go to Hogsmeade, when she stopped by his side.    
  
"What's wrong, Lily?" He squeezed her hand. “Did you forget your homework at the library? A book? Did you forget to eat again, because the house elves can-“   
  
"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?" Her cheeks lifted into the most brilliant smile he’d ever seen.    
  
“You enjoy mystifying people don't you?" 

  
"How exactly have I mystified you Remus?" She asked sweetly, batting her long eyelashes.

He’d nearly come undone then. Weak knees, fast paced heartbeat, wobbly feeling in the stomach, roaring wolf inside his head. Typical teenage boy stuff, plus some.

  
"I was just about to ask you to go with me," he finally breathed. "Of course I'll go with you."   
  
"Brilliant," Lily said before she continued walking again as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. 

When they reached the Head dorms Lily turned to Remus and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. It took everything in his power to keep himself from snogging her senseless in the corridor.

"See you tomorrow.” 

  
"Goodnight, Remus.” Lily waved a hand at him before the door closed on her.

“Goodnight,” he said too late. 

Remus waited against the wall for a few moments, smiling to himself about the turn of events. If Hermione had never shown up here, he might have never had a chance with Lily. He owed her something. Maybe chocolate. He nodded to himself. He’d stop off at Honeydukes and get Hermione the largest piece of chocolate he could find.

 

~*~   
  


 

  
"Emmeline. Oi, Vance!" Sirius yelled through the corridor to a blond girl wearing Hufflepuff house robes. Sirius ruffled his hair, trying to get it behind his ears, but as he made his last quickened step toward her, it flew back in his face anyway. "Do you have a date for Hogsmeade tomorrow?"   
  
Emmeline reddened slightly and she looked to the ground with a small smile playing on her lips. When she brought her striking blue eyes back up to Sirius, she bit her lip nervously. "Not yet.”

  
"Do you want to go with me?"

He found it cute, the way her cheeks blushed and the way she bit her lip. He could just imagine getting her into bed. While images of shagging Emmeline danced in his head, he nearly missed her quiet answer.   
  
"Yes," she whispered happily. "Do you want to meet outside of my common room? Around nine?"

"We’ll meet in the Great Hall after breakfast,” he suggested as he brought his hand to her slim waist. 

She nodded vigorously in agreement and her eyes focused on the bow of his lips. “It's a date." 

“Brilliant," he whispered before placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.

  
Emmeline put a hand to her mouth and whispered, "brilliant."

After he spun around and began stalking down the corridor back to his room, the fake smile on his face faded and he stuffed his hands into his pockets.    
  


 

 

~*~   
  


 

  
Tears still pricked at the corners of her eyes when she finally arrived back to the head dormitory. Everything she thought she knew was turned around and twisted and she hated to think of the damage she’d done to the future. Hermione was keenly aware of how dangerous is was to meddle with time; one misstep could ruin everything. It wasn’t like she hasn’t considered all of the good she could do here. She could save Harry’s parents, she could stop Peter from turning to the Death Eaters, she could shower Remus with so much love that he’d never hide himself away in the darkness. And she could save Sirius. 

But all of that fell into ‘if’ and ‘but’ with no real guarantee she’d make a difference. Even if she did, life at home would be so different that she wouldn’t have a place among her friends anymore. She was well and truly trapped; damned if she did, damned if she didn’t. 

The only way to relieve all her worry was to cry. And so she did in earnest, clutching a crimson throw pillow to her face and letting her heart cleanse itself with tears. She sat down on the sofa and let small sobs escape her throat. She wished that her friends were here, that Ron would make a stupid joke, that Harry would awkwardly pat her shoulder, or that Ginny would insist that she untwist her knickers and live a little.

Just as Hermione thought of her best friends, Lily strolled through the door. She passed Hermione with no regard for her sobbing. It looked as though she was in a trance, the way she moved so dreamily. Hermione just let her go, knowing she couldn't confess her secrets anyways. It wouldn't do any good to try and talk about it; she would only have to dance around the subject. Hermione brought her blue sleeve up to her eyes and dabbed away the tears. Getting worked up over it wouldn't solve anything. Hopefully she could get things set straight before she had to leave - whenever that was.    
  
"Hermione, are you alright?" She sucked in a breath as James took a seat next to her. He pulled the pillow away from her face. "Are you crying?"   
  
"Oh, um… no," she whispered, though she knew that he could tell it was a lie. She bit her lip and wiped at a tear as it escaped down her cheek. "It’s nothing. I just miss home and my fiends. It's nothing. I'm just emotional."   
  
"Do you want to talk about it?” James was so sweet that she almost leaned into him, almost let him hold her until the sadness passed. 

She couldn’t. Hermione had to keep her secrets and she had to stay silent and face this alone. She needed him to stop worrying and to stop looking at her with that nervous smile and kind eyes and she really needed him to not sit so close and be so inviting. So, she did what any girl would do when they wanted a boy to leave her alone. 

  
“No, James really. It's just PMS. You know...girl problems.”

  
"Oh," James blushed and even if he hadn’t meant to, he leaned away. "Well, I…er.” He ran a hand through his hair. "I think… er ... Lily has some extra…er ... you know… in the loo."   
  
Hermione laughed. In that moment, he reminded her so much of Harry. The stammering, the awkward need to help someone no matter how uncomfortable. It was then, with James’ red cheeks and crooked smile and hand pinching the skin at the back of his neck, that Hermione knew under any other circumstances, she could truly love James. 

“Thanks, James." She offered him a smile and pushed herself up from the sofa. 

  
"Hermione.” He snatched her hand and stood up. He was only a little bit taller than her, but she still had to crane her neck to look into his eyes. He dropped her hand and held his arms open. "Just a hug. You know...as friends."   
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, not able to stop it. No wonder Lily gave in. He is so pathetically cute. Hermione wrapped her arms around James' shoulders as he wrapped his around her waist. He picked her from the ground and swung her in a circle. 

"Sleep well, love," he whispered as he set her down. He stole a kiss on her cheek before giving her that relentless, toothy smile and leaving her alone again. 

Hermione’s hand rested on her cheek as she watched him go. Merlin, she was in so much trouble. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in 24 hours even though I’ve added over 2,000 words between them and edited nearly every sentence. XD For anyone who read CH “back in the day”, don’t worry - the plot hasn’t changed, just the writing style. <3333


	8. Chapter 8

_ Oh, my love, my darling _ __   
_ I’ve hungered for your touch _ __   
_ A long, lonely time _ __   
_ And time goes by so slowly _ __   
_ And time can do so much _ __   
_ Are you still mine? _ __   
\- Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers

  
  


Hermione woke early on Saturday morning. Her eyes were still swollen from the tears that she’d cried the night before and her hair was a mess of curls and waves around her shoulders. Sleep didn’t come easy and once her brain quieted long enough to fall asleep, she struggled to remain that way for long. She avoided all mirrors until after she’d had a proper cup of tea and a shower. And, even though she’d made it a point to tell James that they’d only be going to Hogsmeade as friends, she couldn’t help the desperate sprint to Lily’s room to beg for an outfit for the trip. Lily took pity on her and offered up a pair of light blue denims and a random, pink top from her wardrobe. It was strange. Back with Harry and Ron, even with Victor, she never considered much outside of her frumpy school robes or the simple muggle clothes that she’d brought from Watford. Lily’s clothes were so different; flair legs and peasant tops and lots of fringe and she loved it. It suited her. Comfort, not necessarily bold and bright and sexy, but pastel and floral and just right.  
  
She thanked Lily over and over as she bounded from her room and down the stairs in search of James. When she found him, his back turned to her as he ran fingers through his hair to make it appear as if he just sprung from bed and let his hair go natural. It was endearing in a strange way. Hermione found herself smoothing (rather pointlessly) the mane of frizzy ringlets that fell over her shoulders in an attempt to tame it. She felt shy for the first time – maybe ever – as she snuck up behind him and tapped James on the shoulder.  
  
"If you’re trying for the ‘just finished Quidditch practice’ look, you’ve exceeded expectations," she said more flirtatiously than she meant to.  
  
James jumped at the sound of her voice but quickly styled it out with a crooked smile. He tucked a thick lock of hair behind her ear and knocked his knuckle playfully against her chin.  
  
“Beautiful and good for my ego. I might never let you get away.”  
  
She was never really a girl to be charmed, but when his eye batted in a quick wink Hermione felt something coil pleasantly deep in her gut. She liked it and that was a colossal problem. Clearing her throat and stepping out of his personal space, she danced forward to the door and led them out into the corridor.   
  
"Remus and Sirius are waiting for us in the Great Hall. Apparently, as Sirius says, birds take longer to get ready than Peter takes at making a move at Wizard's Chess."  
  
Hermione laughed with James as they walked down to the Great Hall. When they entered, some eyes turned to them with interest, while some - namely Severus – avoided them. Halfway through breakfast a petite, blonde Ravenclaw appeared at the Gryffindor table.   
  
"Sirius," she said rather breathlessly. "I'm ready to ditch the lot of them if you are."  
  
Sirius shoved his plate of food aside and stood up. He kissed the blonde on the cheek and took her hands between his. "Just a minute, love," he said in a smooth voice. "James, Remus, Evans, Hermione," he pointed to each one in turn, but his eyes lingered on Hermione, "This is Emmeline Vance and I’ll be escorting her to Hogsmeade today."   
  
Everyone took turns at greeting the girl, even Lily who was still not keen to speak to Sirius. Hermione half smiled at her. It seemed that the feeling was mutual between them. Emmeline lifted a corner of her lips and ran a single finger down the side of Sirius’ face. Staking claim. Barbaric. Upsetting.  
  
Hermione tried not to roll her eyes or indicate in any way that she was bothered, but Sirius’ eyes burned into hers like he was waiting for her to slip up and say something or throw down with Emmeline like some sort of cave person. Hermione broke the eye contact and offered Emmeline and even wider smile. Perhaps too wide because Sirius chuckled and turned to James.   
  
"Three Broomsticks later?" Sirius asked. “Maybe a trip into Quality Quidditch?”  
  
James beamed at Sirius. "Absolutely!"  
  
Remus smiled at Lily, who nodded. "We'll go. But I really don't want to do the Quidditch thing. You know I hate flying," Lily said seriously.  
  
Everyone chuckled but Hermione nodded in complete agreement. "Maybe you and I can go to Scrivenshaft’s? I'm not much for flying either."  
  
Lily smiled warmly and nodded.   
  
"Butterbeers at four, then?" Sirius let his gaze settle on Hermione. She shifted closer to James and tried to ignore the swooping feeling inside. He winked at her before he turned and faced Emmeline. "Off we pop, pet."  
  
James turned to Hermione. "Ready? I can't wait to show you the difference in the village from your time."  
  
"Off we pop," Hermione mimicked Sirius’s playful tone and held out her hand for James to help her from her seat. He brought his lips down onto her hand and smiled against it.  
  
“What, am I too docile to be called ‘pet’?” James dropped her hand and wrapped his elbow around her shoulders. “Perhaps I should show you just how animalistic I am. I’m plenty wild.”  
  
“Sure, Potter,” Lily laughed as she and Remus walked out with them side by side. “You’re a regular old wolf in sheep’s clothing.”  
  
Remus laughed so hard from the gut that even Hermione’s lips twitched. She had to turn her head into James’ side to stifle her giggles.  
  
“Shut up, Moony,” James growled as Remus’ laugh echoed through the hall and the corridor.  
  
“Merlin, I adore you, Evans.” Remus gripped her hand tight and twirled her around in a small circle.  
  
Hermione watched them practically dance out of the doors and into the courtyard as she gripped onto James’ soft sweater and took another deep breath into the fabric. He smelled so woodsy, so much like the outdoors on an autumn day, she had to contain the sigh that threatened to leave her lips.  
  
“Those two are going to be more trouble than they’re worth,” James chuckled and gripped her tighter.  
  
“You’d know a thing or two about that, wouldn’t you, James?” She smiled up at him and he simply beamed and led her down the path to Hogsmeade.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"I can't believe Madam Puddifoot's isn't here," Hermione said as she took in the smaller village.  
  
It appeared so much  younger, fresher than it did when she first visited during her third year. It was quaint now with brighter colors that belied the darkness surrounding the climate with Voldemort on the rise.   
  
"You said it's a coffee shop for… couples?" James asked.  
  
"Yes, it’s very romantic. Which is probably why Harry had a bad experience there," Hermione said through a light chuckle, but went quiet after mentioning Harry to James. He had no idea about his son and he never could. It broke Hermione's heart that they’d never know each other.   
  
"So, where do you want to go? We have Honeydukes, The Hog's Head, though it’s really dodgy," James gestured to the shabbiest looking storefront and smiled down at Hermione. “Or, if you have a proclivity for danger, we could go to the house that Remus, Sirius, Peter and I use when Remus transforms?"  
  
"The Shrieking Shack?" Hermione was apprehensive as she pulled away from James. She’d forgotten the building’s origin story and thinking about what it meant to her, the history she had for it personally, Hermione decided she really didn’t want to go there.  
  
"The what?” James asked with an eyebrow arched high over one hazel eye. "Is that what they’re calling it where you’re from? Dumbledore must have done a good job convincing people that it’s haunted."  
  
"It’s historical, really. In our books, it's said to be the most haunted spot in Britain," Hermione said matter-of-factly. “Of course some of us know the truth.”  
  
James opened his mouth as if he was going to press her further about the Shack’s future infamy, but when he saw her pinched lips and hard eyes, Hermione was glad that he closed his mouth and changed the direction of the conversation.  
  
"Do you want to visit it?"  
  
"Would you be upset if I said no?" Hermione placed her hand on his arm and tried to sound as delicate as possible.  
  
What she wasn’t expecting was the look he gave her; the genuine smile and the way his eyes danced across her face, with a very faint blush on the apples of his cheeks like he’d been jogging or rushing around the village. His hand rested on top of hers as he shook his head gently.  
  
“I have another idea if you’re agreeable to a small surprise and maybe a bit of dancing?”  
  
At that moment James could have told her they’d be traveling to the fiery pits of Hell and she’d likely follow him there happily. James was like sunshine, he was always so bright and he created an air of lightness around him, and when she looked at him and really took him in, it was almost uncomfortable in a ‘he’s-my-best-friend’s-dad’ kind of way. Somehow, that was beginning to bother her less and less the more time she spent with him. So, she swallowed around a sudden lump in her throat and licked her dry lips. He didn’t say anything more, just pulled her hand away from his arm, entwined their fingers, and pulled her down the high street.  
  
Just as friends, indeed, Hermione thought as he led her to a small building that sat on the corner of the street where Madam Puddifoot’s would have been in the future. She marveled at the little pub, if it could even be called a pub. There were tables scattered along the walls of the small room and a bar opposite the door. The walls were adorned in vintage – Hermione laughed as she thought the word; it was perfectly modern now – frames with romantic photographs of witches and wizards dancing and strolling and kissing.  
  
In the middle of the room there was swirling mist very low to the ground as couples swayed together to music coming from a place Hermione couldn’t see. Some old wizard crooning that Hermione never heard before was playing low and set the mood in the dimly lit pub. Something coiled inside of her gut, a pleasant sort of feeling that also served as a warning that she should have paid attention to and didn’t. In the low lighting and the romantic atmosphere, she saw James for the attractive, charming git that he was. There should have been warning bells. She should have put her foot down and insisted that they go to Honeydukes.  
  
Instead, she let him lead her to a table and accepted the pumpkin juice that he placed in front of her. She didn’t move when he sat next to her rather than across from her. She didn’t bristle when his arm draped across the back of her chair. And when he smiled that trademark crooked smile at her and held her eye contact like the purest sort of human contact she’d ever had, Hermione might have, for a brief moment, leaned forward and given him a true grin in return.  
  
"So, this is the place that a lot of couples come and when you said that your place...Madam Puddifoot’s...was a place for couples, I thought you might enjoy this."

Truthfully, places like this always made her uncomfortable. There was always an expectation tied to them, as if it was expected that she’d be so doe-eyed at her companion that there was no other choice but for her to fall madly in love. Of course, given the sudden feelings she had with James so close and so attentive and so sweet, perhaps she never really stood a chance in this place at all. 

The magical jukebox crackled and then a soft melody began to play. The mist in the center of the room began lifting the couples mid-dance and they’d smile as they hovered above the ground. Definitely not a place Hermione would have chosen to share a friendly afternoon and she suspected that despite James’ good intentions, he knew exactly what he was doing. Niggling his way into her heart. 

"Hermione,” James interrupted her thoughts and placed a hand in hers. “I’d like for you to dance with me.” 

She stared at him, directly into the hazel eyes that didn’t shy away from rejection. Her heart thudded and warnings fired off in her mind. This was Harry’s dad, not some cozy romantic interest that she had any future with. Any day, Dumbledore would have the potion sorted to send her back to her own time and if she continued to let her feelings fester, she’d be so hurt. As her lips pulled into small frown, James ran his thumb over the middle of her palm. 

“As friends,” he clarified as if sensing her worry. 

  
"As friends?” She glanced down at their hands and then back to James. 

  
He nodded one short jut of the chin. "As friends.”

  
He led her to the dance floor and twirled her around in a playful circle before pulling her close and wrapping her hands around his neck. Hermione couldn’t help the girlish giggle that left her, completely caught up in this light hearted moment. It was so hard to believe that the Marauders were ever so carefree and fun loving, knowing their history as intimately as she did. She admired James for it, even if he’d never know why. Somehow she thought he’d always be so boyish, even if he knew the dark times that laid ahead. 

She tried to avoid his eyes and instead watched the rest of the pub’s patrons over his shoulder. If she happened to stare into his eyes for too long, she’d be long gone to his charms. So lost in the other couples on the dance floor, she nearly missed the feel of James’ thumbs rubbing small circles at her hips and the increased pace of his heart as he led them around in slow circles. His fingers dug into the meat of her hips and he delicately pulled her closer and closer until they were forehead to chin and toe to toe. The scent of him filled her head and maybe it was the mist or the song or how close they were, but Hermione dragged one hand from around his neck and planted it flat against his chest. 

Merlin, he was so handsome and sweet and even though he didn’t know when to turn it off, she appreciated his earnest attempts at making her want him more than a friend. She did exactly the thing she knew she shouldn’t and finally looked into his eyes and her whole body nearly melted into his tightening hold. He was watching her, examining her face and smiling as her eyes widened and her cheeks blushed. 

Just as she was about to tell James that they should stop, he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her face up to his. He leaned his head down and was barely a whisper away from her lips.   
  
“James,” Hermione pleaded with a short breath.   
  
“Tell me to stop, Hermione,” James said in a challenging whisper. He almost sounded desperate, the gravel of his voice nearly lost in the gentle tempo of the music. 

Hermione opened her mouth with every intention of telling him to stop, that it couldn’t happen, that the future was riding on his relationship with Lily, and she was confused because she was feeling things for him. Inappropriate things that sparked and coiled and twisted around her common sense and at the end of it all the only thing she could settle on was that James had the perfect bow of the lip and a dimple on the left side of his cheeks and when he was really focusing on being charming his eyes lightened to an almost blue that looked like a sparkle and endeared her to him further. 

Several beats passed and she couldn’t bring herself to say the word even though she knew what she was agreeing to. It was wrong, and maybe that’s why, when his lips collided with hers, the shot of adrenaline that flooded her body felt so good. It was chaste at first and James pulled away and gave her the opportunity to end it one more time. She didn’t, and instead Hermione used the hand around his neck to pull him into a deeper, longer kiss. A soft moan escaped her as his fingers ran and down her side and then his lips were gone and she was struck dazed as she watched his eyes dance with uninhibited happiness.

James placed a hand to her cheek and smiled down at her, but he didn’t lean in for another kiss. Instead, he seemed content with the flush of her face and the swollen redness of her lips and wrapped a chunk of her curly hair behind her ear. Hermione smiled at him and ducked her chin with a small nibble on her lower lip.

He started leading her into the dance again. His touches against her sides were slow and loving, moving to the hem of her shirt and underneath to let his hand caress her bare skin. She was leaning her head on his chest, smiling at the kiss that had happened. It felt so good, so full of love and understanding; the perfect romance. And even though it shouldn’t have happened, Hermione didn’t regret it. Surely one small moment couldn’t change too much, and she’d be going back soon, and she could get over these feelings for James. Of course she could. 

Even as she thought the words, Hermione closed her eyes and swallowed thickly. She knew she was lying to herself. 

  
Hermione and James floated back down to the ground, still engulfed in the mist that was surrounding them. Slowly it started to fade away, so that it was only an inch or so off of the floor like it was before they began dancing. Before she could step away from him and out of his personal space, James caught her chin with his fingers and kissed her once more. 

Hermione leaned back and smiled up at him. “Let’s get out of here. We can visit Honeydukes before we head to the Three Broomsticks to meet everyone.” 

James nodded and grabbed her hand. Their fingers were wrapped around each other and their bodies were nearly bumping against one another as they strolled out of the pub.

Neither of them noticed the two onlookers sitting at a nearby table.    


 

~*~

 

  
“Did you-,” Lily began as she dragged her emerald eyes from the couple who left the pub to look at Remus. “Did you…see…”   
  
“Lily, I think everyone saw that,” Remus said. He put a hand to his reddened hair and grimaced a little bit. Jealousy was the quickest way to get someone to admit their feelings. James finally figured out how to get Lily to notice him and the silly git didn’t have a clue. “They were the Spotlight Lovers. They floated higher than everyone else on the dance floor. I would have had to be blind to miss that.”   
  
“Is she  _ mental _ ? She could completely change his future,” Lily hissed angrily. She was searching Remus for answers, as if he had them.    
  
“I sincerely hope she knows what she’s doing,” Remus’ knew that his tone wasn’t nearly as harsh as Lily wanted it to be. “But let’s leave them to their business and we’ll stay in ours. They’re not breaking any rules, really.” 

Remus reached across the table and took Lily’s hand in his. Lily sighed and let her head fall into her free hand that was propped up by her elbow on the table. She looked into his dark eyes and smiled solemnly. He knew that she was thinking about James and he was growing more uncomfortable as he held her hand. He never pursued Lily because of the Marauders Code - James made them swear it. But now, James found another bird to chase and so Remus finally worked up the courage to tell Lily how he felt.

And now it was all tumbling downhill.    
  
“Is there anywhere you want to go today?” 

Lily was ready to get out of that pub. The air between her and Remus thickened after having seen James and Hermione snogging in the middle of the dance floor. She wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much, but somewhere inside she felt a nagging sensation, as if something that was hers was being taken away. 

  
“Why don’t we go check out Monsieur Dupree’s Library,” Remus suggested, knowing that Lily would appreciate the offer.    
  
“Excellent! There’s a new book by Newt Scamander that I want to check out,” Lily said, beaming at Remus, who finally showed signs of a real smile.    
  
He took her hand and, just as James had done with Hermione, led them from the pub in search of something else.   
  
  


  
~*~   
  


  
  
“Sirius, really, we should head back to the village,” Emmeline panted. 

Sirius grunted against her neck and continued leading trails of kisses from her ear to her collarbone. His hand was sliding up her shirt, just as it had in his daydreams. 

“Sirius!”   
  
“Emmeline,” Sirius breathed huskily. “Why would we go back to the village if we can be alone here? Isn’t this what you want? Sirius Black, ready and willing?” A small smile curved on his sexy, swollen lips. His darkened, cement color eyes came up to her electric blue ones, trying to seduce her.    
  
“No. No, I don’t want ‘Sirius Black, ready and willing.’ Everyone’s had that,” she said angrily as she stood up from underneath him, leaving him to lie on the hard grass. 

He rolled over, bending his knees with the soles of his shoes flat on the grass and put his hands behind his head. She stood over him and glared down at him. 

“I thought you might want to try a relationship.”   
  
“I don’t do relationships, Emmeline,” Sirius chuckled. “Surely you’ve heard that.”   
  
“You are such a  _ prat _ , Sirius,” Emmeline huffed as she walked off. He could hear her mumbling under her breath as she stalked back to the village.    
  
“So I’ve heard,” he said airily. 

In truth, he was looking forward to what Emmeline had to offer. The only problem was that he would never want a relationship from her. She was just like every other pureblood girl at Hogwarts; no depth and no free thought.    
  
After watching the shapeshifting clouds drift across the blue sky for a few minutes, Sirius pushed himself up from the ground and dusted himself off. He made his way to The Three Broomsticks, deciding that getting a head start on the butterbeer was the best idea he had all day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know what ship you’re here for, but it’s about to get a lot more complicated folks. XD Thank you so much for reading and the kudos and subscriptions and bookmarks and comments and you all are LOVELY. <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise second update! :)

When everyone arrived at the Three Broomsticks, James offered his services to go get the drinks. On her right was Sirius with an assortment of empty pint glasses and a characteristic smirk planted on his face as he flirted mercilessly with anyone who strolled past their table.

“Where’s Emmeline?” Hermione asked after losing sight of James in the crowd.

“Not a clue,” Sirius said with a shrug as he sucked down the last dregs of his butterbeer. 

“I thought you had a big date planned with her today.” Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. 

He didn’t flinch or budge, just smiled and pulled loose coins from his pocket. “If I had a sickle for every time a bird got what she wanted from me before the end of a date, I’d be richer than old Walburga Black.”

She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “You’re an awful liar.”

“Don’t know what you’re faffing on about. Em got what she wanted and we parted ways.” He spun to face Hermione and lowered his gaze so that they were level. “Not sure what you know about me, love, but I don’t let ‘em stick around long enough to catch feelings.” 

She swallowed. That familiar sickness crept through her gut as she watched his eyes glance to her lips and then back again. He was in there somewhere, the Sirius she knew. The one who caused her heart to skip beats. The one who made her feel as if her soul was tangled up in something bigger than life itself. 

“Obviously, just another girl with no self respect.” Lily interrupted in a far more casual tone than her words implied. Both Hermione and Sirius turned to her; Hermione wide eyed at the bold statement and Sirius appearing highly amused. “What? It’s not like your reputation as a complete slag is a secret.”

“For good reason, poppet,” Sirius told her cheerfully as he flicked little bronze knuts into an empty pint. “Imagine Orion Black’s face when my brother tells him about all the muggleborns I’m bedding with my highly regarded Pureblood Heir Seed.”

“Ew.” Both girls said together, and Hermione added, “that’s completely disgusting, Sirius.”

He wagged his brows at them and flicked another knut that missed the pint glass. “I could list a dozen words you’d like even less.”

It was Remus who spoke up. “Please don’t. We don’t need to know anything more about your… functions.”

“Padfoot on about his Pureblood Heir Seed again?” James made a show of setting down six butterbeers to which Sirius bowed dramatically in thanks. “I told you not to talk about that in front of other people.”

“As I was saying,” Sirius gripped his new pint and thrust it forward as if to clink it with others. He missed but brought the glass to his lips anyway. “There are words I could use instead, such as c-“

“Nope. Highly unnecessary.” James put his hand to the bottom of Sirius’ glass and tipped it up so that Sirius had to drink it. 

“How many do you suppose he’s had already?” Remus asked as he sipped on his own drink.

“A dozen?” James guessed. “I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t been sneaking in firewhisky.”

Sirius made a noise deep in his throat and James let go of his glass. Sirius grinned and pulled a flask from his chest pocket and then wiggled it in the air in front of the table. “Anyone care to join me in a broilermaker?”

“That explains that,” Lily sighed and pushed her drink away. “Where’s Peter?”

“Flouncing about with Bertha, I expect. I think he’s actually getting lucky with her. Been spending a lot of time with her.” Sirius stopped talking abruptly and chased his butterbeer with the contents of his flask. 

Hermione watched him closely as James sat on her other side and wrapped his arm around the back of her chair. As she sat with more eyes on her and outside of the romantic atmosphere of the pub they were in before, Hermione began examining her actions. Her breathing was shallow as she recalled the way James’ lips felt so soft against hers, the way that he held her so close and only had eyes for her. And as she watched Sirius get more inebriated as they sat and talked about nothing of importance, she reminded herself who James was to her, and who Sirius had become. Watching them now, best mates and entirely unhealthy for each other, Hermione started to feel a sickening pull in her stomach. She’d have to leave them, all of this, behind. 

She’d made a terrible mistake in getting close to James. And as she watched Sirius chuckle into his mug and felt her heart constrict at the carefree sound, she knew that everything was wrong, wrong, wrong. Warmth began to spread through her body that had nothing to do with butterbeer since she hasn’t taken a sip.

The door to the pub opened to reveal a slew of Slytherins, followed closely by Severus Snape. He looked almost normal in his everyday clothes; a black shirt and black jeans topped off with black shoes and black hair. He was definitely not the epitome of happiness - James’ exact opposite. As soon as he entered and started walking toward the bar, his eyes darted to the Marauders’ table. 

  
Hermione locked eyes with him and pushed James’ hand away from her knee. The last time she saw Severus, he’d been cruel to her. She snuck a glance at Lily who appeared to be pretending she didn’t know Severus entered the pub. How did this boy, whose eyes softened when they met hers, become so hardened to the world? How did he fight alongside a psychopath that wanted Lily’s kind enslaved or killed? 

She glared at him through small slits and then turned her head back to James who was showing the same expression. Aiming to upset hm, Hermione leaned in andkissed James on the cheek, all the while staring into those familiar black eyes. Flashing a look of disgust, Severus turned his back and walked back to the bar to assume his drink.   
  


When she focused again back on the table in front of her, she met several pairs of shocked eyes. Lily and Remus were open mouthed, staring at her in disbelief. Sirius' eyes were narrowed at James, and softened only minutely when Hermione offered an apologetic smile. But James was ecstatic. His eyes were lit up and a huge grin was plastered across his face. Without loosening his grip on her, he leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips.   
  
"James," she whispered against his lips. "Now is not exactly the best time."   
  
"Right, love," he said with a wink, face still just as close as it was moments before. "Perhaps later."   
  
"I'm going for air," she announced suddenly, almost breathless. "I'll be back."   
  
Taking it as a hint, James started, "I'll come with-"   
  
"No, it's okay. I need to be alone." Hermione got up from her chair and headed to the door, feeling the eyes of everyone following her.   
  
The winds were picking up speed outside and Hermione crossed her arms over her chest to keep the body heat close to her. Although it was a sunny day, the breeze was taking its toll on those who were brave enough to reveal their skin to the wind. She found herself sitting on a concrete wall in front of a small garden contemplating the next few days that she would be spending with the Marauders and Lily. How was it that she had gotten so wrapped up in their friendship and, more importantly, James? 

She knew the answer. She’d found inside of him, something that was missing for as long as she could remember. He made her feel like she was at home. They all did. Like she’d known them forever and only recently, in her life with Harry and Ron and Ginny, did she feel that something was broken inside of her. 

  
Tears fell freely from her eyes and she wiped them away furiously with her hand, dragging stray tears into her hair. This resulted in her usual frizzy locks growing outward and the wind certainly wasn’t helping. Huffing at her hair and tears, Hermione's mind began working at top speed. James kissed her and more than once. James kissed her in front of everyone, even Sirius. James kissed her in front of Lily! The future was likely well and truly tits up. 

  
As if on cue, Lily came walking up to her, nothing but sympathy shining from her eyes and a small frown tugging at her lips. "Hermione," she whispered as she sunk herself down to her knees in front of her. "What's wrong, love?"   
  
Hermione choked out a sob behind her hand and began to ramble. "I’ve screwed up everything. I shouldn't have started to fancy James - or Sirius, if that’s even what  _ this _ is. What’s wrong with me? This isn't me at all! I'm not like this. And I knew better! I could have messed up Harry's future by now! And now, who knows what's going on back in my time. Will they know me when I get back? And now I'm emotionally connected to a dead man. And you and James… And Remus. Oh, Merlin.” 

She sobbed harder into her hands, a few snorts leaving her throat. Hair gone to hell, eyes puffy and raw, throat thick with tears. She’d gone and ruined everything in such a short amount of time. 

  
"James and me and Remus? What dead man? How-“ Lily placed a hand on Hermione’s knee. “Hermione, you have to tell me what’s going on. You need to tell me the truth.”

  
"I c-c-can't say," she protested.   
  
"You will say, Hermione. We can fix this," Lily assured her. She put her hand on Hermione's back and rubbed circles. "We're your friends and we will help you sort this out, yeah?"   
  
Hermione nodded her head in understanding and finally raised it to look at Lily. Her expression was soft and caring, something Hermione hadn’t gotten used to. 

"Thank you," she said shakily. "Better get back to the boys."   
  
"No, Hermione. You need to sort things out with James. Now," she insisted. "I'll go get him and tell him to come out here. And later we can all have a chat about what all of this means." 

Lily stood in front of Hermione and made to walk back to the pub. Before she made it to the door, Hermione called back to her.

  
"Lily? What do I tell him?" She wiped at her eyes and tried to sort out her hair, though it did no good at all. 

  
Lily looked thoughtfully for a moment before she answered, "The truth." 

And with that, she went back into the bar in search of James, leaving Hermione once again.   
  
Hermione walked briskly to the alley that was near the pub, with the intent of being left alone to her thoughts. And once she got to her destination, they all came rushing to her.   
  
_ What did I do? _ She kept repeating the question to herself.  _ What in the name of Merlin’s Beard did I think I was doing? _

The thoughts cake faster and faster like a whirlwind. She couldn’t clear her head long enough to focus on one specific thing that she had messed up on. It was James and then it was Sirius and then Lily and Remus and Harry. She could never explain to them what she’d done, could she? Her breaths came faster as their voices swirled around in her thoughts, asking her questions and blaming her for everything going wrong.    
  
Her tears spilt relentlessly and, in an effort to keep them from slipping onto her jumper, she wiped them away with her shaking hand, and guided them thoughtlessly to her hair again. She ran her hands through her hair and cried out in frustration.    
  
“You idiot! Are you completely mental?” She stomped her foot on the ground as she berated  herself. “They belong to Lily! That’s how you got your best friend. Remember him? Harry! Harry Potter!”

  
She removed her hands from her hair, which was growing at an exponential rate. Her breaths were coming out quick and shallow and her chest was squeezing tight.    
  
”Merlin! If Harry ever knew that I snogged his father…” She pressed her back as close to the wall as she could get and curled her fingers into the brick. “What have I done? And Lily and Remus. I may never know what Harry would think, because there may not be a Harry to worry about. I may never know Harry!” 

Her mind went back to the day she watched Lily and Remus together, smiling and joking. The way that they looked at each other and found innocent excuses to poke at one another; and then seeing their hand holding in the Three Broomsticks. It was all too much. But, when they saw her and James kiss, Lily’s eyes flashed green and Remus was nothing short of apprehensive. That’s when she saw it; his brown eyes swept quickly over to…   
  
“Sirius!”

She was attracted to him. Of course she was; who wouldn’t be. The long hair, the lean body, the way his trousers hugged every angle and that bloody smile that could cure all ills. And she knew he was attracted to her, at least a little bit. Since the first day they met he would capture her eyes in an intense stare that hadn’t ever matched by anyone in her life. It was pure heat. Like fire.

  
“Bloody Potters! Bloody Blacks! Merlin, what have I done?!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, just before she heard heavy footsteps making their way back to the ally that she had secluded herself in. 

The tall, swooping, and awkwardly handsome image of Severus Snape came into her line of vision. Subconsciously, she backed away, knowing that this situation would not go well. A small, proud glint in his dark eyes caused her breath to hitch slightly in her chest as she took an even more confusing step toward him. It was going to be said, now before she became too confused – she was going to tell him to go away. She knew she needed to be alone, and having a man who was so intrigued by her, near her, was not helping her clear her head. She couldn’t take his silent criticisms.    
  
“Severus, please leave,” she pleaded in a small voice.    
  
“I came to apologise,” he said in a silky voice. “For my behavior in the library. I had no right to insult your heritage. I just thought that with instinct like yours…”   
  
Hermione interrupted his charming apology. “How did you find me here?”   
  
“I am a Slytherin.” With a smooth glance at her, piercing her eyes and nearly stopping her heart, he placed a slender, pale hand to his chest. “Cunning people, we are.” 

He smirked and took a small step toward her. “I saw you leave the Three Broomsticks and decided to follow you so that I could catch you without the bodyguards.”   
  
_ Bloody Slytherins _ , she thought as she watched his hand leave his chest and come inching, as if in slow motion, toward her face.   
  
"What is it about you that is so intriguing," he wondered aloud, while allowing his finger to trace her jaw line.    
  
She shivered at his touch and silently reminded herself that this man was a horror as an adult, and her professor. And, to top that off, no matter how reformed he might be in her time, right now, technically, he was a minion to Voldemort. Slowly, she backed away from him, fear ever present in her eyes. He didn't let her get far; however, he just kept following her backward steps. It didn't take her long to back into the alley wall; the cool red bricks pressed firmly against her back once again, she could feel the cold even through her jumper. His hands were on either side of her head and his eyes were boring into hers, taking in the river of emotion that she couldn’t hide.    
  
He ducked his head down, an inch away from her mouth, which was partially open in shock. Before taking the plunge onto her lips, he whispered, "No need to be frightened." 

His breath hadn't even finished sweeping its way across her face before his thin lips were melting onto her own. Not a second too soon, Severus pulled away from her with a smirk settling on his lips. They stared at each other. He knew that she had forgiven him for the name calling, and she knew that he had only started tormenting her thoughts.   
  


He was another connection that would muck up her future. 

  
"Oi! Hermione, where are you?" It was James and he sounded incredibly worried. "Hermione!"   
  
Hermione twisted herself to face the direction his voice came from. 

Severus suggested under his breath, "Just something to think about," before he sauntered off as if nothing happened. She watched him disappear around the corner, and just in time. 

James came toward her, face red from the wind. She knew she looked like a mess and she still couldn’t get the look of shock off of her face. Hermione was tense and watching his approach like an injured animal. 

"Why are you over here?” he asked her breathlessly. 

It took her several beats to process James’ question, but she finally she turned her head to face him.    
  
"What are you doing over here? And," he added a bit hastily, "Why are you alone? It's not safe to be alone."   
  
"I...I just wanted fresh air. And I remembered a shop," she said while looking at her feet, clearly lying. 

James seemed to notice that she was a bit flustered and held out his hand to wrap around her waist. Almost skittishly, she moved away.   
  
"What is going on?" he demanded in a hurt whisper. "First you run out on me after I kiss you. Then, you back away when I try and touch you."   
  
Hermione’s eyes remained locked on the smooth concrete. How could she tell James that he was meant to be with Lily? How could she tell him that she fancied Sirius? Should she tell him that she just kissed Severus? It was so much for her to handle. Finally able to look him in the eyes, she raised her head so that she was staring directly into his eyes. They held so much confusion.   
  
"I can't love you, James," she blurted out. "You and Lily...That's true love."   
  
"Lily won't show me the time of day," James protested. "I have feelings for you. I don't care if Lily loves me or not. I want you," He held out his hands and grabbed hers into a tight, pleading squeeze. "I don't know why I have feelings for you, but they are stronger than they ever were for Lily."   
  
"It's only because I reciprocate. Trust me," she gave him a hard, determined look, "You and Lily are meant to be."   
  
“Hermione...”   
  
“I…I have to go.” Her lip began to tremble and it was all she could do to push away from him. She walked quickly away from where James was standing, leaving him staring after her in complete shock and confusion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh... I’m sure the title of the story mentions this gets... complicated. And sort of hexagonal. We’re going to rip the plaster off and run headlong into true time fuckery soon. XD 
> 
> Thank you, again, so much, for all the subs, kudos, comments, and bookmarks. I was so worried with reviving this trilogy and y’all are making it such a positive experience. <333


	10. Chapter 10

Her breathing came in heavy gasps as Hermione thumped her fists against the Headmaster’s oak door. She didn’t even look to the iron griffon knocker that seemed to give her a look of utmost distaste; like she was a barbarian for using her petite hands rather than the more civilized and perfectly placed door knocker. Hermione ignored it, though, as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again, for what was probably the hundredth time since she’d traveled back.

The tall door creaked open under her persistent clatter and the calm, serene face of the Headmaster replaced the spot from where the door knocker watched her. His silver hair was tied back in a neat knot and his beard was clipped just at the chest of his periwinkle robes. Hermione wanted to scream at him but found that no sound could escape her. Just the heavy breaths that she’d been issuing since she ran away from James and the rest. 

“My dear child,” he greeted her with a voice that flirted with surprise and then he moved aside to allow her inside. “Please, come have a seat.”

Hermione walked in and swiped at her eyes as she made her way around his spindly knickknacks. As the headmaster made his way to the chair behind his desk, Hermione sat and curled her knees underneath her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. Everything went very, very wrong and she wasn’t sure how she could make it right. Lily and James, Sirius, Remus. Harry. She’d ruined it all.

“Ice Mice?” he asked as his teeth chattered behind a smile. “It’s a rather new invention from Honeydukes. They are deceptively delicious.”

She shook her head. While she loved the mint flavor the sweet and often nicked them from Ginny while they studied, the last thing she needed was for her teeth to chatter as she sobbed to the Headmaster. She already felt like a mental person, no need to make him believe it too quickly, too.

“No thank you, Headmaster,” she finally said with a surprisingly steady voice. She waited a beat to make sure that she was done with her tears, that she was calm and rational, before she continued. “I need to speak with you.”

“Indeed.” The headmaster nodded his head as if he’d suspected as much and then pushed the little tin of Ice Mice aside. “I suspect that you are anxious to get back to your home, Hermione?”

“Yes, sir.” It took all of her strength not to tear up. She bit the inside of her cheek and allowed her body to stretch out so that she was no longer curled up like a frightened, sad child.

“I’m sorry to say, Hermione, that it could still be a very long time before we are able to send you back. Horace has yet to perfect the potion for you. It’s never been done before now.” His eyes did that Albus Dumbledore twinkle as his lips parted in his infamous all-knowing smile. Hermione’s stomach dropped. “Am I to understand that things are going particularly well here for you? I was under the impression that you were getting on quite well with our most popular students.”

“No sir,” she answered honestly and sat straighter in the chair. “In fact, everything is awful.”

If the Headmaster was surprised by the fierceness that she used to declare her feelings about the time period, he didn’t let it show. Instead, his fingers met in a steeple beneath his chin and he leaned forward as if entranced, not wanting to miss a single word she had to say.

Her voice wavered slightly as she opened her mouth to say that she’d messed up the future, that James is supposed to love Lily, and that Harry may never be born now that she’d mucked everything up. But, what came out was a quiet sentence that made her heart thud harshly against her throat.

“There will be no one to defeat Voldemort.”

It stunned her that in the moment where her emotions were ragged, exhausted, and entirely exposed, she chose not to blame her heart for its follies. Instead, she worried, quite right, that the most vile wizard in history wouldn’t have an adversary. Her best friend wouldn’t live and the world as she knew it, dark and twisted as it was, would cease to be and in its wake, she had no idea what she’d create. It was sickening, more sickening than the thought of losing James or Sirius or Lily.

She took a deep breath, knowing the choice she’d have to make. Before she could demand the ingredients herself from the Headmaster, he interrupted her with a quiet question.

“Miss Granger, what do you know of Lord Voldemort?”

“Pardon me, sir.” Hermione shook her head. “There is nothing I can tell you that won’t jeopardize the future I wish to return to.”

Professor Dumbledore surveyed the young Gryffindor in front of him, his half-moon spectacles falling slightly off the bridge of his nose. “Hermione, I admire the way you wish to preserve the future and, if you are comfortable enough with telling me, I will give you my word that I will not purposefully alter the course of events.”

Hermione sighed deeply, not taking her eyes off of the old man. After holding his eye contact for several minutes in a sort of contest as she assessed how she should proceed, Hermione finally divulged everything she knew to the man; the circumstances of Harry being born to James and Lily, the switch of the Fidelius Charm from Sirius to Peter, Voldemort’s downfall, Harry’s aunt and uncle and the horrible conditions that Harry was forced to endure, Voldemort’s resurrection, the Prophecy, and the Order of the Phoenix.

Dumbledore did not interrupt her once, but frightened her a little when he suddenly rose from his seat and walked quickly around to the front of his desk. His periwinkle robes swished around him as he sat himself upon the corner of the desk and held an amused and confident smile on his face. Finally done with her tale, she took a deep, flustered breath and looked at the ground. The sun was starting to break through the windows and shine on the old wooden floors. “I’m the reason that Voldemort won’t be defeated.”

“Hermione,” he spoke somberly. “We can place you back at the exact moment that you left. Nothing will have changed.”

And in that moment, she realized just how selfish she could be. Hermione didn’t want anything to change, but she didn’t want to give up the Marauders, either. She didn’t want to leave them behind, she didn’t want them to die – or worse. Her heart clenched at the thought.

“You aren’t as happy as I’d think, given the news.” The Headmaster’s voice sounded as though he already knew what was going through her head. He reached toward her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and leaned his head down so that he could make eye contact. She refused to wipe away the building tears now.

“I don’t want the memories of them. It will hurt too much.” Guilt immediately cinched her throat and she felt the warm tears finally seep from her eyes.

“Which memories?”

“All of them,” she whispered. “James, Lily, Sirius, Remus... even Peter.”

It was eerily quiet in the Headmaster’s study. And then: “There is a second option,” he said carefully as his hand fell away from her. “Use your knowledge and fight with the Order of the Phoenix. Save your friends. Save your friend Harry from a miserable future.”

“I want all of my friends in one place. I miss them so much,” she cried out. Her sobs lasted for several minutes before she finally calmed down and looked at the old man who sat in front of her, almost heartbroken at her predicament. “The only people I’ve ever gotten close to are Harry, Ron, and Ginny and I never knew, never dreamed that this would happen.”

“I tend toward fate, or very careful orchestration of events, through meticulous planning and predicting.” The Headmaster finally seated himself back behind his desk and removed a phial from his pocket. “One never knows where one’s destiny lies if they don’t observe the various paths it could take and give destiny a gentle nudge from time to time.”

She let his words wash over her for a beat. For the first time in her years as a witch, she finally understood why everyone believed Professor Dumbledore was as wise as he was mental. It was the first time she truly understood his ambition because it properly reflected her own. She’d never been one for fate or for destiny, but the words plucked at something deep inside her. A string, perhaps, that tethered her to this time, this place, these friends. “So, you’re saying that it’s fate that I ended up here and grew to care for Harry’s family?” Hermione frowned, never having been one for divination before. “If that’s true, then fate is playing a very cruel and twisted joke.”

“I often forget just how troublesome love and its affiliates can be.” He clapped his hands on the top of his table and stood with all the vigor of a much younger man. “Why don’t you try some rest and a good thinking session? You’ll know what to do when the time comes. You will make the right decision, I’m sure of it. Go now and rest, but Hermione, I will expect your decision soon.”

“Yes, sir,” she answered, defeated. 

As she turned to leave, she watched as the Headmaster placed the tip of his wand to his temple and extracted a shimmery blue wisp from his head. What she wouldn’t give for a pensieve; somewhere to store all the thoughts that plagued her. Perhaps Professor Dumbledore was right; rest would probably do her some good. After bidding the Headmaster goodnight Hermione made her way back to her common room with nothing but thoughts of the last few weeks swimming viciously in her mind. Without even realizing it, she had come to the Head Dorms and almost walked right into the wall where the door should have appeared. Before she could enter, however, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Hermione,” the gravelly voice said again and then a deep chuckle laced the rest of his words. “When you are done running into walls…”

She spun around to face him, hoping that her face wasn’t as puffy as it felt. “I was just getting to bed, Sirius. What do you want?” “I’d like to have a chat with you. Is that so bad?” he asked while drawing ever closer to her. Once Sirius was a pace away from her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the Head’s Dorm.

“Probably,” she breathed quietly as she followed him to sit on the sofa. “Look, I don’t know if you’re high or if you’ve had too much firewhiskey – “

She could smell the firewhiskey on his breath. And only when she realized the smell for what it was did she notice just how close he sat to her. Her eyes suddenly found the hem of her shirt and she plucked at it until a thread came loose. Funny, she thought as she felt the sofa dip next to her thigh, that life felt a lot like a thread being plucked and unraveled. At first it was slow, almost torture, and then suddenly it was undone and never quite the same again.

In a beat after her words, he barked a laugh. She thought maybe she’d mistakenly spoken her thoughts out loud and it effectively pulled her mind from its downward spiral. “Knotgrass and Firewhiskey. You sure do think a lot of me, don’t you, pet?”

Hermione cringed at the nickname and tried to subtly scoot away from him. It scared her, how easily she was trapped with him, how she didn’t even fight to get away from him. She was supposed to be resting, thinking, figuring, planning. And yet, one moment, a tiny blip on her radar, and here she was, sat next to Sirius Black and entirely entranced by his gray eyes, which called to her like a wolf in the wild.

“Sirius.” He moved closer to her and Hermione had to put a hand up to stop his advances. “I’ve had a shite day and I just can’t do this right now.”

His face fell, a frown burrowing deep into his cheeks. “I only want to have a word.”

“You’re sitting awfully close for ‘just a word’, don’t you think?” Hermione gestured between them and then scooted herself away again.

“Something feels familiar, doesn’t it?” He moved so that he was closer to her again, pressing her against the arm of the sofa. “Like we’ve been here before, done this dance a million times? I don’t understand it.”

Merlin, did she know. Ever since she arrived in the 70s, everything was familiar down to the conversations and the feelings and the dread of returning once again without being able to save her new friends. And, she’d grown so attached to them so quickly that it didn’t seem logical. Something about the entire situation nagged at her, like she should remember something that just wasn’t… real. So, she adopted a slight frown and pressed her hand against Sirius’s chest, and tried to make him understand that she couldn’t possibly have these feelings.

“Sirius,” she started in a very strict Hermione Granger tone that would have Harry and Ron sitting straight and glancing at each other nervously.

“Don’t ‘Sirius’ me,” he cut her off and placed his hand over hers on his chest. “You can’t come into our lives, give me those ‘I don’t know how to feel about you’ eyes, and snog my best mate in the pub because you don’t know any better.”

 “Don’t know any better?” Her voice squeaked and rose and her face blushed as she tried to yank her hand away from him. He wouldn’t let go. “Sirius, I know _too well_ that this can’t happen. We’re from different _times_ , different _lives_. And, I can’t just go around snogging every-“ 

Sirius didn’t let her finish the thought. His lips crashed onto hers and they were warm and soft, and the way that his chest fell with a relived breath beneath her hand pulled her closer to him. In the back of her mind, Hermione’s thoughts raced and alarms sounded. James, Severus, Sirius; what was she doing? And those thoughts quieted to a whisper as Sirius’s hand met her cheek, his thumb running a small, circle at her jaw and into her curly hair. She moaned against his mouth and felt his lips curl into a devilish smile on his face. 

She was on her back and the arm of the sofa was digging into her shoulders in an instant. He hovered over her, lips not giving her a second to think. He didn’t give her a chance to consider how complicated the situation was, how her feelings were forcing her in so many different directions, what could possibly go wrong by her _once again_ snogging someone who definitely shouldn’t be kissed. Instead, she found comfort in his weight, pleasure in the way his body seemed to mold to hers, and solace in the quiet of her thoughts that’d been racing and panicking for the entire day.

A noisy crash broke them apart. Sirius sat between her legs on his heels as Hermione scrambled backwards and off the sofa with wild hair that whipped around her face.

“Is this why you wanted me to try to date Lily again?" James shouted as he stood up from the bottom of the stairs. He threw a vicious glare at Sirius before he settled his fiery blue eyes back on Hermione. “So that you'd be free to snog my best bloody friend?”

“No, James. You and Lily _have to be_ together. There's –”

"Just stop, Hermione," Sirius demanded, raising his hand to the brunette. “James, mate, it just happened. Neither of us meant it to-"

"Don't lie to me Sirius. I know you better than that. You probably started it." James took another step toward Hermione and spoke directly to her, ignoring Sirius rising from the couch. "Hermione, I understand you believe Lily and I were meant to be together in the future. But had I met you, things obviously would have been different."

Finally losing it, Hermione spun around and faced the fire that was roaring behind her, matching her sudden temper perfectly. She stared into it and took a few calming breaths, though they had no effect. Without pulling her eyes from the dancing orange flames, she spoke to James, and hoped that Sirius was paying attention. “No, James. Things can't be different. If things change, the entire future of the world is affected. It's not just your life and my life that it ruins. You and Lily, together, ensure the safety of everyone for more than a decade after Harry is born.” 

There was absolute silence. And then:

“Harry?” Sirius asked quietly. She could feel the shift in the room; he’d gone to stand next to his best friend. “Your best mate? The one that you had all those adventures with?”

Hermione sighed deep, wishing that it hadn't come down to this. But, they must know... all of them had to know. Turning around, she captured both boys in hard stares before addressing just James with a jut of her chin. "Go and get Lily, Remus, and Peter. There are things that you need to know." 

James didn’t move, just glanced to Sirius and then back to her again. He chewed on his bottom lip for a split second and then advanced toward her again. "I want to know," he rushed to finish his sentence, "is Harry my son?"

Hermione closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and barely nodded her head. It was taking far too much effort to keep tears from falling. Just as the first began to glide down her cheek, James cupped her face in his palm. “It's alright. We'll figure this out, yeah? That's what we're here for.”

James gestured between himself and Sirius, and sort of let his hand fly around vaguely. Sirius nodded over his shoulder, his fists balled up and forced into his trouser pockets. Hermione sniffed as James turned on his heel to go to the Gryffindor common room to retrieve the others.

With James gone, Sirius took his chance to speak with Hermione alone. "It's not just a fling," he announced solemnly. "I don't know what you’ve heard, or how you know me in the future, but I do have feelings for you. I don't understand them, but they're there."

Her breath came out in heavy pants and it felt as if someone were choking the life out of her. Her hands were shaking and her thoughts were swimming. She didn’t register anything that Sirius said, just began mumbling quietly to herself. "This has not happened. This is a dream and if I tell them what's to come, it won't matter because it's not real. None of this is real. I _don't_ care about James, because he loves Lily. I _don't_ care about Sirius because he's dead. Remus _isn't_ my friend because he's too busy being a spy. Lily _isn’t_ my friend because she belongs to James. Peter will always betray them all.”

"Er, Hermione," Sirius voiced with an unsure tone. “You said I’m… I'm dead?"

She ignored him. “I have to go,” she half-shouted as she moved to brush past Sirius. He wouldn’t allow her to pass, though. He wrapped her in a tight embrace. "I can't.”

She pushed him away and ran through the dormitory door, slamming it behind her. Wiping the tears roughly from her eyes, Hermione ran to the one place she knew that no one would find her; the one place in Hogwarts that had everything she needed: The Room of Requirement. She had been there once with James already, so she didn't have a hard time finding it, and was relieved when she walked into the room. The walls were lined with hundreds of books, but even more importantly, there was already one book lying half opened in front of a cauldron filled with ingredients. She noticed the color was a bit off from the silvery look it needed. As she continued to use shaky hands to wipe the wetness away from her cheeks, she grabbed the open book and recited the remaining ingredients. 

* * *

 

“Sirius, where did she go?” James asked as he entered the room to find only Sirius by the fire. Lily, Remus, and Peter all followed closely behind, each wearing looks of confusion.

Sirius put a hand to his head and matted down his hair. Shrugging, he said, “She just left. She just ran out the door.”

Everyone looked at one another, but it was Lily who took a step forward. “James told us what happened. What did you do to her while he was gone?”

“Nothing. Merlin,” he said, aggravated. “I only wanted to comfort her. She seems so lost lately and she said something about…” he stopped for a minute to think about what he was going to say. Deciding against telling them about him being dead in the future, he resolved to let her tell them. “Let’s just go find her.”

Without another word, they headed down the corridors, avoiding other friends and conversation, looking desperately for anywhere that Hermione could have gone. Lily had her hand wrapped tightly within Remus’, Peter hung close to Sirius, and James, who was in front of the group, led them quickly down several flights of stairs with a raggedy map held out in front of him.

“Do you know where you’re going, Prongs?” Sirius called to James.

“She’s got to be in this castle somewhere. Why can’t we find-”

“The Room of Requirement,” Sirius and Remus chorused.

* * *

 

Hermione read the potion brewing techniques for the Time-Turner Draught through and through. According to the color of the potion, it was ready for the final ingredient. Hermione lifted the lacewing flies to the brew and watched it bubble. Just as she was pouring the silver potion onto the ground, four boys and Lily came bursting through the door.

“What are you doing?” asked James as he walked up to Hermione. “Sirius said you….what’s that potion?”

Hermione’s cheeks reddened. She wasn’t going to tell them that she was going back home. She hadn’t even planned it - it just happened.

“Hermione!” Lily rushed forward. “That’s the time-turner draught. Why is it on the floor?”

Again, Hermione shifted uncomfortably. Her hair was a wiry mess about her head and she had small beads of sweat falling down her forehead. Her eyes shifted to Sirius and then to James.

It was time to go home. “I’m going home,” she said solemnly. “I can’t keep causing all of this trouble.”

She took a step forward to get into the potion and go home. Lily leapt forward and grabbed Hermione’s elbow. Sirius clutched at her other arm. With their force, Hermione was knocked off balance and teetered forward toward the brew on the floor. She brought Sirius and Lily to fall into the potion with her.

The last thing that Hermione heard was James, Remus, and Peter shouting “No!”

And then they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First: I am SO SORRY for the delay on this chapter. Lots of excuses; moving, vacation, sick (in that order). But, I'm hoping to have the completed story all posted by the middle of August, so that definitely means an update every few days from here on out. :) 
> 
> Second: THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the subs, the kudos, the wonderfully kind and sweet comments, and all the support while I edit, rewrite, and post this fic. It truly means more than you can imagine, and I appreciate every little vote of confidence. And I'm SO HAPPY that other folks are enjoying this crazy tale. <3
> 
> Third: All previous warnings apply - we're headed into the actual crazy storyline now and it's going to happen fast and without mercy. You've been warned. XD


	11. Chapter 11

“Albus, you do realize what today is, do you not?” Snape asked as the words dropped slowly from his lips with thinly veiled disdain. His black eyes swept around the Headmaster’s office, taking in the sleeping portraits and finally rested upon the twinkling blue eyes of the Headmaster himself. 

Albus rolled his thoughts around for several moments and appraised Severus over his half-moon spectacles. There was a lot to consider, especially given that no one could know exactly which version of events would unfold. Should he divulge all of the truths to Severus, or should he deal in partial enlightenments to avoid putting all of his proverbial dragons eggs into one flaming nest? He settled, in short, for the latter. As usual. 

  
“Today is the day that Miss Granger comes back to us, Severus, I am well aware. We shall be getting a few surprises, to be sure. But, I have to ask you, with the strictest of confidence,” he paused and gave Severus a piercing stare until the potions master dropped his eyes to the paperwork upon his desk, “that you will not spread the word of the past and why she is back in this time. Harry does not know any of this, that I know of, and things will not be the same for Miss Granger.”   
  
“Sir, if things really are different from her original future, then does that mean that she had decided to stay in the past? And, that she-”   
  
“I will not let you bombard her with questions. She knows nothing of her decisions in the past, nor does she understand the consequences they’ve had on her former future. Do not do anything to dissuade her from what she has already elected to do, even if it means that things didn't work out for you in the past.” 

He stood from his throne-like chair and swept around his desk. His pensieve flowed from the corner of the room and he paused above it, watching the swirling memories coalesce. “You are not friends here, you are student and teacher. She knows not the decisions that she has made.”

  
“From everything that I was told by her friends, and by Miss Granger in the past, the future could not be better than what it is at this time. Tell me Severus, that you will do nothing to disturb it.”   
  
“With all do respect, Headmaster, do you expect me to go gallivanting off to the Dark Lord’s side again?” Snape crossed his arms and drew his dark cloak fully around his body. “I needn’t remind you how I’ve made an enemy of my former allies.You already know why-“

  
“I trust you, Severus.” Albus offered him a small and sad smile. Everything the man had given up and he still couldn’t see, was still blond to, the ease with which he discarded love and loyalty. “However, we must use caution when dealing with emotions that never settled. There will be no convincing our visitors to return back to their rightful time if we spook them with the full truth. Am I understood?”   
  
Snape inclined his head in acceptance. “Yes, sir.”    
  
Dumbledore raised his wand to his temple, closed his eyes, and withdrew with it a shining silver substance that he immediately dropped into the pensieve and then watched connections form. “I expect you will have some company soon.”   
  
“Good afternoon, sir,” Snape bid him farewell and swooped from the office. 

“Pardon me, Dumbledore, but I do believe you’ve lied no fewer than six times to that man.”

Albus glanced up to watch the portrait of Phineas Black and tilted his head curiously. “It remains a mystery to me, Phineas, how you’re able to withstand time.”

“With a certain amount of pizazz and nothing less than the finesse of an Ancient and Most Noble Black.” Phineas leaned against the golden frame and made a show of wiping his manicured nails against his velvet robes. “This isn’t the right one, you know. She’ll choose wrong again.” 

“Indeed,” the current Headmaster agreed with an inclined chin. “The more she makes the wrong choice, the closer we come to the right one.”

“She’ll hate you for this.” 

“Mmm,” Albus placed this memory, another conversation with Phineas, into his pensieve. “They always do, I’m afraid.”

 

_________________________________

  
  
Hermione, Lily, and Sirius landed with an ‘oomph’ in the middle of a dank dungeon classroom which was oddly familiar to Hermione, yet different in the same respect. Hermione stood from the pile she had gotten herself entangled in and looked around her new surroundings. It was the potions classroom, that’s for sure, but things were different. Little things, like the desk set up and the ingredients written on the chalkboard. The class was not exactly what she had left. Hermione startled when she heard a sneer coming from the corner.    
  
“I see that you have found your way back, Miss Granger,” Snape hissed. “And, you brought some friends, too, I see.” His eyes skimmed quickly over Sirius and Lily and a small frown pulled his lips; his hatred of Sirius Black was apparent. 

  
“Sir, it was an accident. I didn’t mean to bring them, they just…er…came,” she finished lamely.    
  
Sirius was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. “What is Snivellus doing here and why did you call him Professor?”   
  
“Really, Black, I would have thought it obvious. I am the Potions Master… Miss Granger’s Potions Master.” His lips curved into an ugly, twisted smile. “We have a lot to discuss, Miss Granger,” Snape said, turning his attention back to the bushy haired girl. “Later, of course. A class will be here soon.”   
  
“Sir, I should have come back to the exact time I left.” She looked around the empty classroom, confused as to where her classmates were. “Where is everyone?”   
  
As if on cue, the dungeon doors swung open, admitting a string of students who silently found their seats and ignored their professor and the three people who were congregated around him. It wasn’t until Hermione turned around to view the class that a sense of complete dread filled her. Her stomach tied in knots as she saw people she knew, people she had been in school with for six years and, yet, there were some that she had never seen before.    
  
Lily looked around at the entering class, smiling slightly at the similarities between her time and this; things were really not that different. At least the uniforms were still in tact and the houses had survived. Sirius, on the other hand, was watching Hermione intently. The way her nose scrunched as she caught a glimpse of a redheaded boy wearing Slytherin robes, and another fearful expression when she saw a tall, gangly boy in Gryffindor robes being watched by the entire class as if he was going to explode at any second.    
  
Hermione whispered, “Neville?”   
  
Neville looked up from his desk and rolled his eyes at Hermione. The rest of the class heard her faint wondering as well and looked at her, obviously completely confused. A quiet murmur passed through the room, echoing off of the walls.    
  
“Miss Granger,” hissed Snape in a harsh whisper, “Perhaps it would be prudent for you to go see the Headmaster… Now.” There was urgency in his voice. Something was off; something was very wrong.    
  
But Hermione was rooted to the spot, grasping like a death grip to Sirius’ arm while Lily moved closer to her other side. Hermione was trying to get her feet to move along with the other two, but she stiffened as a member of the class stood from his seat, staring at her in bewilderment.   
  
“Are you…?” A boy with short and curly brown hair came striding up to the front of the class, looking puzzled at Hermione. His hazel eyes pierced through Hermione as if trying to read her like a book. 

“Mum?”   
  
Hermione flinched at the word and backed away from the boy, wondering how on earth she could have a child when she was only seventeen. On top of that, she had never seen this boy before, yet he reminded her of Harry. He looked a little like James, yet there was something that was not right. Were those pieces of her? Narrowing her eyes at the boy, realization hit her when she saw the sparkle in his eyes and the strong, confidence that held his chin up.    
  
What had she done? 

How had she changed everything? 

Who, now, was going to save the world? 

She had to know if this was  _ Harry _ , if he was indeed her son. She found her voice, small and frightened, “I’m sorry… Who are you?”   
  
The boy disregarded her question and looked tentatively to her left side, where Sirius was narrowing his eyes for the sceptical look the student gave Hermione. The boy spoke gravely, addressing Sirius, “Uncle Sirius?”   
  
Sirius blanched. He backed away quickly, nearly bumping into Snape. 

  
“Sit down, Mr. Potter,” came the angered voice of Snape, interrupting the tense silence. “This does not concern you. Miss Granger, Mister Black, and Miss Evans, go to the Headmaster’s office and you shall find the answers you seek.”    
  
Without being told twice, Hermione and the others walked quickly from the dungeon in search of the Headmaster’s chambers, hopefully to get answers to the burning questions they had raging in their minds. There was no talking, only complete silence as they reached the stone gargoyle. Hermione cursed herself, realizing she did not know the password. Just as she thought it, the Headmaster appeared from behind the stone guardian.    
  
“Ah, Hermione, I was expecting you,” Dumbledore said, acknowledging the curious glances he was receiving from the trio. “We have much to discuss, if you would please follow me.”   
  
Merely nodding at the Headmaster’s request, Hermione walked behind him, her hands trembling slightly out of fear. Lily was at Hermione’s left, holding tight to her arm, making sure that she had the comfort she needed, especially after that incident with Severus. Sirius was on the other side, though he was more distant than normal. His eyes met the floor and remained there until the Headmaster opened the door to his chambers and offered them each a seat.    
  
“Sir-” Hermione started, but didn’t make it very far before Dumbledore raised his hand to quiet her.    
  
“Let me explain first, Miss Granger, and then you can ask all the questions that are burning your brain.” Dumbledore looked rather happy, which was odd because Hermione knew how much he disapproved of time travel.   
  
“First, I’d like to say welcome back. I realize that it’s not exactly how you left it,” Dumbledore started, earning a ‘humph’ from Hermione. “A lot has changed since you’ve made certain decisions. The last time you came back, you were upset that everything remained the same. Are you equally upset that things have changed?”   
  
“Last time, sir? I’ve never gone back to…I’ve never done this before!” Hermione shouted. It was annoying that the Headmaster spoke to her like she was always causing havoc, always going against the rules. She never has broken rules before now… except for adventures with Harry and Ron. Every year. 

  
“Let me show you,” he suggested to her. Realizing there were two more people in the room, Dumbledore offered them as well, “Your friends are welcome to enter my thoughts as well.”   
  
“Are we going into the Pensieve, Professor Dumbledore?” Hermione asked.    
  
“Correct, Hermione. I’ll prove to you that you have done this before. It will be interesting, of course, to see your reaction and subsequent decisions.” Dumbledore walked swiftly around his desk to a wardrobe in the corner of the room. “Step over here, you three, and let us begin another journey.”   
  
As soon as Hermione, Sirius, and Lily were shoulder level with the Headmaster, Hermione leaned in to the Pensieve. Following her lead, having never done this before, Lily and Sirius leaned into the basin as well. It was the second time that day that the trio landed with a thud on the ground, getting entangled with one another. Dumbledore appeared beside them, standing as though he’d done this dozens of times, and offered his assistance in helping them up. Before they had the chance to say thank you, the memory started.    
  
“Headmaster!” James shouted and banged on the closed oak doors. He began beating the golden griffon knocker, coming very close to breaking it off. “Head! Master!”   
  
Suddenly, the door opened revealing a very tired looking Albus Dumbledore. “Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin,” he addressed them while inclining his head. “What is the meaning of this rather angered visit?”   
  
The boys quickly dove into their story; Hermione, Lily and Sirius falling into a silver puddle. Both of them were speaking so fast and so loud that after five minutes of them continuing their rant, Albus sat down and waited out the storm staring at nothing but some paper in front of him.    
  
“…And now they’re gone.”   
  
“…Don’t know where they went.”   
  
A mind numbing silence filled the air, causing both boys to shift in their seats while trying to catch their breath. The Headmaster looked calculating, pondering one of his various riddles.    
  
“Sir,” Remus broke the silence, “what happened?”   
  
Dumbledore sighed and used his hand to pet his long, white beard. He sat thoughtfully for another minute before answering Remus’s question. “I believe that they have gone back to Hermione’s time.”   
  
James looked at his friend, as if to say “Is that all?!”   
  
Reading his mind, Dumbledore answered, “Well, the problem is not that she went back in time. The problem  _ this time _ is that she has taken others with her.”   
  
“This time?” The boys chorused.    
  
“Since Miss Granger’s initial visit-”    
  
James yelled, “Initial Visit!?”   
  
Followed quickly by Remus, “She’s only been here once!”   
  
Dumbledore chuckled, the confusion on these two boys’ faces was amusing every time. Of course, the first time it happened, it was rather gut wrenching. But, having watched them scare this easily a few times, Dumbledore couldn’t help but have a laugh at their expense, as they had done to countless others.    
  
“Sir,” Remus said more forcefully. His girlfriend was gone, and the Headmaster was not helping matters. “What did you mean by ‘initial time.’   
  
Knowing that these boys were not going to lighten up at all, Dumbledore stood from his desk and whisked around to a wardrobe that stood ominously in the corner of the office. When he opened the wardrobe, a shining blue light emitted from a strange stone basin. “It is called a Pensieve,” he replied before being asked. “In truth, Miss Granger has been here six times before. All of those times, however, she had gone back to her exact time of departure…alone and in varying degrees of emotional turbulence. In those cases, it had little to no effect at all because I was able to modify the proper memories.”   
  
“So, we wouldn’t have remembered her,” Remus concluded astutely.    
  
James was red in the face, his cheeks puffing in and out with anger. He wasn’t getting answers dammit; he was being answered with stupid riddles about time and relativity. None of that mattered - what mattered was Hermione! 

“Why is this time so different?” he shouted. “If she hadn’t taken Sirius and Lily with her before, why did she take them with her this time?”   
  
“No one can be sure,” Dumbledore offered hesitantly, though he knew that James was in need of serious, straight forward answers. “However, I believe that each time she came here, she was becoming increasingly comfortable with you all. She had accepted your friendship quite quickly this time. While other times she was more hesitant because of…events from her time.”   
  
“But,” James interrupted, jumping up from his seat and walking toward the Headmaster, with Remus closely following.    
  
“Hermione stayed here this time much longer than she had in the past. Some of it was my fault, I admit. I did not have a potion made for her, and was anxious to see just how brilliant she was - having correctly brewed a Time-Turner Draught six times without knowing it.” Dumbledore wore a look of pride. “She was able to get closer to you all. I should have sent her back before things got out of hand, but I see now that she wanted to do that herself.”   
  
“But-” James tried again to ask another question.   
  
“No more interruptions, Mr. Potter,” Dumbledore requested, raising his hands. “Time is never an easy thing to understand and I beg for your patience.”   
  
James and Remus nodded their heads in reluctant acceptance as they looked over the Professor’s shoulders to his basin. They were about to enter the Headmaster’s thoughts as Hermione felt a tug on her arm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, two chapters in two days! This chapter is a little shorter than the previous one, but the stopping point is to allow digestion of what’s happening and then gearing up for what’s to come next! 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who gave support yesterday and everyone who is sticking with this fic. Next update should be this week, though I’m currently involved in a couple of other projects so it might be at the weekend. 
> 
> And if anyone is on Tumblr, you’ll find me there under Frumpologist. I’m not always active but I always post updates or new fics there. :)


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